AUSTIN — For the sixth consecutive year, Whole Earth Provision Co. will be donating proceeds from the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour to Texas State Parks.

Whole Earth Provision Co. — a Texas-based travel, adventure and nature store — has sponsored the film festival in Austin for over a decade and selects a worthy organization to receive the proceeds. As the designated beneficiary of tickets sales from the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, Texas State Parks will use the proceeds to help fund state parks’ day-to day operational expenses, create park trail maps and enhance visitor programs.

“We are blessed in Texas with an excellent state park system that provides an unrivaled range of outdoor adventures,” says Jack Jones, Whole Earth Provision Company founder and lifelong Texas state park advocate. “These magical places belong to the citizens of Texas and are available for all of us to visit and enjoy.”

The festival, held in Austin at the Paramount Theater, includes Banff Mountain World Tour Films, which are international documentaries about unique places around the world, Sunday, Feb. 26. The Radical Reels Tour, a sampling of breathtaking outdoor adventure films, will be featured Monday, Feb. 27. View the film lineup, event trailers and ticket information online on the Whole Earth Provision Co. website.

Cooler weather makes February an ideal time of year to visit state parks and most urbanites are closer to a state park than they might imagine. There are 12 state parks within an hour’s drive of Austin, nine within an hour’s drive of San Antonio, eight within a 60-minute drive of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, 11 within 90 minutes of Southlake and seven an hour or less drive from Houston.

“There’s something for everyone to enjoy at Texas State Parks,” says Texas State Parks deputy director Russell Fishbeck. “Beyond hiking, swimming, picnicking, camping, appreciating the natural wonders and learning about our rich history, some state parks offer caving, rock climbing and mountain biking.”

Later this year, Whole Earth will host the “April is Texas State Parks Month” event at Whole Earth Provision Co. stores. Throughout April, customers at the eight Whole Earth locations in Austin, Dallas, Southlake, Houston and San Antonio will have the option at checkout counters to donate to Texas State Parks. They can also meet local park rangers, who will be handing out Texas State Park Guides at all eight locations, to find out more about the numerous recreational opportunities and cultural and historical lessons state parks offer.

“Texas state parks are thankful for the much-needed funding for day-to-day operations provided to parks from public-private partnerships with business such as the Whole Earth Provision Co.,” said Texas State Parks director Brent Leisure. “As the state parks system continues to evolve and create new and exciting programs, the annual promotion with one of Texas’ premier outdoor retailers allows us the opportunity to continue to create park experiences that Texans expect and deserve.”

Texas state parks provide an affordable and healthy way to spend time with family and friends. Children 12 and younger get in free. For more information about visiting Texas state parks, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website .