Friends of the Smokies partners with the National Park Service and other nonprofit organizations to provide critical funding and programs that protect the park’s wildlife, history, and beauty—so visitors can enjoy it today and for
generations to come. Learn more about these partner organizations below.
Smokies Life
Since 1953, the nonprofit Smokies Life has supported the National Park Service’s educational, scientific, and historic preservation efforts. It runs the park’s bookstores and publishes books and other media about the Smokies’ natural and cultural resources, including several guidebooks. Smokies Life has donated more than $54 million to support conservation, education, and construction projects.
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont is an environmental education center located within the park, connecting people to nature through immersive, multi-day experiences in the Smokies. Through residential workshops, summer camps, and school programs, Tremont promotes curiosity and inspires learning for thousands of people each year.
Discover Life in America
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most biodiverse park in the U.S., home to an incredible variety of plants, animals, fungi, and more. Since 1998, Discover Life in America has led the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, identifying over 12,000 species new to the park—including more than 1,000 new to science—to help guide conservation in the Smokies.