Apple celebrates America’s national parks with two new promotions

Apple has announced two new promotions that advance the continued use and maintenance of America’s national park system. One involves it making a donation for each Apple Pay purchase while the other is a new Apple Watch Activity Challenge that was previously leaked. 

From Aug. 24 through Aug. 31, the company is donating $1 to the National Park Foundation for every purchase made with Apple Pay at any Apple Store, on the Apple website, or through the App Store app in the U.S.

Proceeds from the Apple Pay promotion will support the National Park Foundation’s mission to protect national parks through projects like habitat restoration and historic preservation. It will also help to engage younger park visitors through programs like Open Outdoors for Kids.

Apple CEO Tim Cook explains:

America’s national parks are treasures everyone should experience, and we’re proud to support them again this month by donating a dollar for every purchase made with Apple Pay at one of our stores. These awe-inspiring places are our national inheritance, and Apple is doing our part to pass them on to future generations — just as extraordinary, beautiful and wild as we found them.

Meanwhile, like previous Activity Challenges that promote exercise and wellness, the one on Sept. 1 commemorating Redwood National Park’s 50th anniversary will unlock an animated themed sticker in the Activity app for Messages. It also includes an award in the iPhone’s Activity app.

You’ll receive the rewards when you do a walk, run, or wheelchair workout of 50 minutes or more on that day using your wearable device.

Kyle Seth Gray discovered this promotion earlier this week.

As part of the National Parks celebration, Apple will also highlight a collection of apps designed to help users navigate and explore America’s parks.

Are you planning on spending some Apple Pay cash in the coming days to help with this promotion? How about the latest Apple Watch Activity Challenge? Let us know below.