U.S. Embassy Warsaw Deputy Chief of Mission Pamela Quanrud joined park representatives from the U.S., Poland and Slovakia in Zakopane to open a national parks conference on using alternative energy in parks. The conference, held from April 20-23, was organized as a part of the ongoing sister park relationship between Tatra National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, with assistance from the U.S. Consulate in Krakow. Five representatives from Rocky Mountain National Park, including Director Vaughn Baker, joined national park staff from all over Poland and Slovakia to learn more about how parks are using alternative energy. “Parks are stewards of our greatest natural resources, so it makes sense that they also lead efforts on sustainable energy”, noted Ms. Quanrud in her comments at the opening of the conference. Ms. Quanrud also praised the cooperation between the parks, especially since 2009 marks the 90th anniversary of Polish-American diplomatic relations.