Joovy, a manufacturer of juvenile, toy, and sporting good products for young children, announced its new national park collection in partnership with the National Park Foundation.
The collection, available at joovy.com, includes fun and educational products featuring endangered animals that live in national parks. Products include high chairs, walkers, tricycles, and bikes, as well as interactive placemats for family mealtime, fact-based board books, and plush toys that can help teach children empathy and emotional connections. Each purchase will help support the National Park Foundation, which works to protect wildlife and park lands.
“As an industry-first collaboration, our goal is to create awareness and educate young children about endangered animals while supporting our great national parks,” said Rob Gardner, Founder and CEO of Joovy. “We hope this will change how families look at everyday products. Connecting an endangered animal to something you use every day creates the opportunity to empower children and their families with empathy for these essential creatures.”
After going on many family trips to national parks, Gardner and his wife Sarah became inspired to support the national parks. “Not only did we get excited about the parks and what they meant to our family, but also about how we could inspire other families through Joovy products,” said Gardner. “That’s why we developed this collection featuring endangered animals and the national parks they call home.”
“Joovy’s new collection brings national parks into people’s home and helps inspire curiosity about these treasured places and the wildlife living within them,” said Stefanie Mathew, senior vice president of corporate partnerships at the National Park Foundation. “The National Park Foundation is grateful for Joovy’s continued support for national parks.”
The animals come to life with endearing names and personas to build the relationship between the child and nature. The first four endangered animals in this collection are:
- Sol, the Southern Sea Otter, lives in forests of giant kelp off the coasts of Channel Islands National Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This keystone species plays a crucial role in maintaining the habitat of many marine animals.
- Loosi, the Black-Footed Ferret, lives in the prairie grasslands in Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park. This animal had been on the endangered species list since its inception 55 years ago.
- Ben, the Sonoran Pronghorn, lives in the desert at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Its primary challenge is the lack of space due to the construction of roads and fences.
- Brody, the Hawaiian Hoary Bat, lives in the trees of Haleakalã National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This animal is a key to using fewer pesticides since they consume up to 6,000 insects a night.
“Supporting our national parks is a commitment we plan to continue into the future,” said Gardner. In the coming months, Joovy will be releasing additional products within the national park collection.
For every product purchased from the national park collection, 5% of the purchase price will be donated to the National Park Foundation for a minimum commitment of $200,000 through this and other promotions by the end of 2021.