For immediate release – July 26, 2010

Contacts: David Barna, (202) 208-6843, David_Barna@nps.gov

Patrick O’Driscoll, (303) 969-2839, Patrick_O’Driscoll@nps.gov

Wessels Named Intermountain Regional Director

Will lead one of seven National Park Service regions

WASHINGTON – National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis has named John

A. Wessels as the Service’s Intermountain regional director, responsible

for leading 5,000 employees and 92 national parks visited by more than 42

million people annually. Wessels, who serves as the region’s associate

director for administration, business and technology, assumes his new

position in Denver in August.

“John has an incredible track record of tackling tough issues and finding

innovative solutions,” Jarvis said. “Results-oriented and goal-driven, John

manages by inclusion, building a collaborative work ethic among employees

and with partners. He strives for the highest standards of transparency and

accountability. He has an easy grasp of the big picture and is dedicated to

the effective use of new and emerging technologies to meet the needs of the

National Park Service. As the National Park Service looks toward its second

century, he will be a valuable member of our national senior management

team.”

“Serving as the Intermountain regional director is a tremendous honor,”

Wessels said. “The region is home to some of this country’s most

spectacular landscapes and most compelling stories, places that have been

entrusted to the National Park Service by the American people for nearly

100 years. It is our privilege to care for the natural and cultural

resources in parks and to work with communities around the region to help

them preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational

opportunities for their citizens.

“For me, this is an opportunity to support employees in their dedicated

efforts to care for these special places and engage park visitors,

partners, and communities. I will listen carefully to their voices as we

work together to preserve these places, engage the public, draw young

people to the parks, and provide meaningful experiences to our diverse

audiences.”

As the regional associate director for administration, business and

technology since 2004, Wessels oversees a regional annual operating budget

of $500 million and the largest concessions contracting operation in the

National Park Service, more than 200 contracts that gross over $425 million

annually.

Over the last 18 months, he has also led the investment of $200 million in

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds in priority park projects

across the region. He was the key figure in developing a virtual

acquisition strategy that has improved accountability and empowered the

workforce with more flexibility for purchasing and contracting. He was

responsible for overseeing property management for 43 million acres of

public land and more than 2,000 park structures.

Wessels joined the National Park Service in 2000 as the Intermountain

Region’s comptroller, where he managed all finance and budget-related

activities and developed a web-based system to integrate financial systems

data and project information to provide park managers with real-time access

to critical income and expense data by park.

During his career he has served as acting deputy superintendent at Golden

Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, acting deputy Intermountain

regional director, acting associate director for business services at the

National Park Service headquarters in Washington, D.C., and most recently

as acting superintendent of Grand Teton National Park and the John D.

Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway in Wyoming.

From 1989 to 2000, Wessels worked for U.S. Department of Commerce’s

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder managing

financial and administrative functions and systems for the national physics

laboratory.

He was selected as a Presidential Management Fellow in 1985 and served in

the Office of Management and Budget where he become a permanent employee

(1985-1989) serving as the budget examiner for the $4 billion U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development. At OMB, he staffed two

presidential commissions – Management Improvement and Integrity and

Efficiency – and was the lead analyst on the Enterprise Zone Empowerment

Program, an initiative to spur investment in economically depressed

communities. In 1987, Wessels was commissioned as an ensign in the United

States Naval Reserve and served for six years as a reserve intelligence

analyst.

Wessels earned bachelor and master of science degrees in public finance and

policy analysis from Carnegie-Mellon University and a second master of

science degree in computer information systems from Regis University, where

he has served as an adjunct professor of business and information systems

in the College of Professional Studies since 1998.

He lives in Denver with his wife, Mary, and their children Grace and Jack.

www.nps.gov

Note to Editors: The National Park Service’s seven regional offices provide localized policy, leadership, and technical support to parks and communities. The Intermountain region is the largest region in the National Park Service, spanning the states of Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. The region includes 92 parks encompassing 11.1 million acres; employs 6,000 permanent and seasonal employees, and generates one-half of all National Park Service concession revenues. It has more than 230 national historic landmarks and more than 11,000 properties listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

_______________________________________________

Npsnews mailing list

Npsnews@webmail.itc.nps.gov

http://webmail.itc.nps.gov/mailman/listinfo/npsnews

Related posts

• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• National Park Service Parktips – July 2010 (0)
• $3 million for WWII Japanese American Confinement Sites National Park Service Grants Fund Preservation Efforts (0)
• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• Parktips – October 2009 (0)

Held in different locations each year, the IHS is one of the reptile cultures oldest and longest running herpetolgical events, and offers three days of presentations on herpetology, herpetoculture, and reptile veterinary medicine, as well as a behind-the-scenes field trip to the Chiricahua Desert Museum.

Known as the progenitor of today’s reptile expos, the IHS was one of the first herpetological events in North America open to both professionals and hobbyists and continues to draw people from around the world. Topics and speakers are as geographically diverse as Paul Hamilton’s “Herpetofauna of Western Ecuador” to Hiva Faizi’s presentation on Iran’s secretive Sand Swimmer Skink, with plenty for the backyard herper, too, like Phil Ralidis and Ed Acuna’s presentation on Texas Alligator Lizards in Travis County, Texas.

While animals will not be for sale at the event, there will be vendors of dry goods, field and handling equipment, and books as well as a variety of other herp-themed products.

The Symposium will be July 21 – 24, 2010 at the Radisson Suites Hotel Tucson Airport in Tucson, Arizona. For more information about this year’s event, see the IHS website at http://kingsnake.com/ihs.

Related posts

• Wessels Named Intermountain Regional Director Will lead one of seven National Park Service regions (0)
• Parktips – October 2009 (0)
• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• Parktips – April 2010 (0)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)

News Release

July 8, 2010

Contact: David Barna (202) 208-6843, david_barna@nps.gov

Sue Husari, (510) 817-1320, sue_husari@nps.gov

Lehnertz Named Pacific West Regional Director Will lead one of seven National Park Service regions

WASHINGTON – National Park Service (NPS) Director Jonathan Jarvis has named Christine S. Lehnertz as the Service’s Pacific West regional director, responsible for 3,000 employees and 58 national parks visited by more than

56 million people annually. She reports for duty in mid-August to the

Oakland, California, headquarters.

“I am delighted that Chris has accepted this opportunity to lead our team in the Pacific West,” Jarvis said. “She is a proven leader and an accomplished manager who brings a fresh perspective to the work we do on behalf of the American people. As deputy superintendent at Yellowstone National Park and most recently as acting associate director for cultural resources in Washington, DC, Chris has shown an uncanny ability to get to the heart of any issue, develop consensus, and get things done. She is respected by her peers and our employees and will be a great addition to our senior management team.”

“The parks in the Pacific West region are an amazing microcosm of the entire National Park System: a mix of stunning natural beauty and authentic American history,” Lehnertz said. "Throughout the region, the National Park Service’s community programs are helping towns and cities preserve their own heritage and create places where kids of all ages can get outside and be active. While the responsibilities of regional director are daunting, I am excited about taking on the challenge and with the prospect of working with the top-notch employees, partners, and volunteers who work in the Pacific West and throughout the National Park Service.”

Lehnertz replaces Jarvis as the Pacific West regional director. The position has been filled on an acting basis since Jarvis was confirmed as National Park Service director in September 2009.

Lehnertz has been the National Park Service’s acting associate director for cultural resources since April 2. She served as deputy superintendent of Yellowstone National Park since 2007 where she was responsible for all aspects of human resources, budget, and natural and cultural resource management and science programs. She also had oversight of more than 100 park concessioners with $100 million in annual gross revenue and ensured that the park’s large portfolio of construction and maintenance projects complied with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act.

From 2004-2007, Lehnertz served as director of ecosystems protection programs in the Denver regional office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where she led a large multi-disciplinary staff to implement federal environmental laws including the Clean Water, Safe Drinking Water, and National Environmental Policy Acts. She managed partnerships with states and tribes, environmental and natural resource departments, and with local government and non-governmental organizations, including responsibilities for $129 million in annual grants. Her work with EPA began in 1990.

Lehnertz earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology from the University of Colorado in Boulder and a secondary education teacher certificate from Metropolitan State College in Denver.

Lehnertz and Shari Dagg, her partner of 16 years, plan to bring their work with golden retriever rescue to their new home in the Bay Area.

-NPS-

Note to Editors: The National Park Service’s seven regional offices provide localized policy, leadership, and technical support to parks and communities. The Pacific West Region comprises Nevada, California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Hawaii, portions of Arizona and Montana and the territories of Guam, American Samoa and Saipan, extending 106 degrees around the globe. The region includes 12.5 million acres of national park land, including 8.5 million acres of wilderness, 159 federally listed threatened and endangered species, 4,418 miles of designated wild and scenic rivers, nearly 100 national natural landmarks, more than 235 national historic landmarks, and more than 7,500 properties listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

Related posts

• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• $3 million for WWII Japanese American Confinement Sites National Park Service Grants Fund Preservation Efforts (0)
• Parktips – February 2010 (3)
• National Park Service Parktips – July 2010 (0)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)

Climate Change Response Program

1201 Oakridge Drive, Suite 200

Fort Collins, CO 80525

970-225-3597 phone

www.nps.gov/climatechange

July 1, 2010

Contact(s): Angie Richman, 970-267-2136, Angie_Richman@nps.gov

Lisa Norby, 303-969-2318, Lisa_Norby@nps.gov

Young scholars help National Park Service tackle climate change

George Melendez Wright programs premier this summer

(Fort Collins, CO) – From temperature tolerance of moose to solar energy,

26 young scholars will tackle research and education projects to help

national park managers look at the effects of climate change. The students

will work in national parks from Maine to Alaska and California to Florida

this summer and are the first to take part in the National Park Service

(NPS) George Melendez Wright internship and fellowship programs.

National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis said, “We need to understand the

effects of climate change in our national parks in order to make better

resource management decisions, and we think the work these young people do

will help accomplish just that. The internships and fellowships are

designed for youth – to harness the energy and creativity of college and

university undergraduate and graduate students – and put them to work

alongside national park managers, scientists and educators.”

Leigh Welling, coordinator of the NPS Climate Change Response Program,

said the first group of interns and graduate fellows will collect data on

natural resources and prepare educational materials about climate change in

national parks. They might be inspired to consider a career with the

National Park Service, too.

Interns will work in national parks for 12 weeks through September. Their

projects include design and construction of a showcase photovoltaic array

at Crater Lake National Park, outreach to urban youth to address climate

change in the Nation’s capital, development of an educational program about

prehistoric climate change at Russell Cave National Monument, and a study

of the moose of Voyageurs National Park. “Moose populations in northern

Minnesota fell from 4,000 to 85 between 1984 and 2007, and scientists

suspect warmer summers and winters may be part of the reason. Here’s a

project to help us understand these changes by monitoring the temperature

tolerance of moose”, Welling said.

The 13 Wright Fellows, all graduate students, will research subjects that

include changes in wetland ecosystems in Yukon Flats Wildlife Refuge in

Alaska and climate stress in the American Pika in several western national

parks. “This research furthers stewardship, highlights the effects of

climate change on national parks and enriches public understanding of

America’s natural heritage,” Welling said.

The internship program is facilitated by the National Council for Science

and the Environment, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization. For

more information regarding the internship program please visit:

http://ncseonline.org/CampustoCareers/cms.cfm?id=2233#NPS. The fellowships

are facilitated by Dr Lisa Graumlich, formerly from the University of

Arizona and now the inaugural Dean of the College of the Environment at the

University of Washington.

Welling said there will be Wright Fellows and Interns for years to come.

“The response to our call for projects was overwhelming, from parks and

students. That showed the need for these types of programs. We can afford

the $315,000 cost of this year’s programs because the Congressional

appropriation for the National Park Service this year included funds for

climate science and adaptation.”

Jarvis said, “This program links the emerging knowledge of energetic youth

with the legacy of national park rangers, scientists and technicians and

that’s important for future generations who inherit our stewardship

responsibilities.”

The George Melendez Wright programs are named in honor of the early 20th

-century National Park Service biologist who promoted the idea of

science-based research as central to preservation of national parks and who

envisioned a system of protected areas to promote ecosystem health and

resilience.

For more information about the George Melendez Wright interns and fellows,

their projects and the NPS Climate Change Response Program, please visit:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/climatechange/internshipsresearch.cfm

www.nps.gov

Related posts

• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• Parktips – October 2009 (0)
• Parktips – February 2010 (3)
• First Lady Michelle Obama Asks Junior Rangers to Take It Outside at Our National Parks (0)
• Parktips – November 2009 (0)

Parktips – July 2010

Parktips is a monthly compilation of newsworthy items and story ideas from the National Park Service. A new edition is posted on the first week of each month at http://www.nps.gov/news/index.htm. Just click on the Story Leads link to access Parktips. You can view past issues of Parktips. You can also receive a personal copy of Parktips, via e-mail or fax, by registering at our website.

147th Anniversary of Battle of Gettysburg

(Pennsylvania) — On July 1, 2, and 3, park rangers provide special programs on the fields at Gettysburg to commemorate the anniversary of the battle. “Real Time” programs will follow and explain the events of the battle in chronological order and at as close a time as possible to the real time they occurred. Please visit www.nps.gov/gett and look under Things to Do. For more information, please contact Katie Lawhon at Katie_Lawhon@nps.gov or 717-334-1124 ext. 3121.

Music in Nature Concerts

(Wyoming) — Grand Teton National Park and the Grand Teton Music Festival will offer a concert series called Music in Nature, in which a string quartet will perform 30-minute recitals inspired by nature. The free public concerts will run June 28 through July 23. The string quartet was established by the Grand Teton Music Festival to showcase promising young musicians with the festival orchestra that plays each summer at Walk Festival Hall. The quartet will delight listeners and continue a musical tradition inspired by the beauty of Grand Teton National Park and its majestic scenery. The times and park locations are:

Tuesdays and Thursdays

11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Colter Bay Visitor Center (back

deck)

Wednesdays and Fridays

2 p.m. and 3 p.m., Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center

(terrace)

5 p.m. and 6 p.m., Jackson Lake Lodge (lobby)

Public: For more information, please contact the Colter Bay Visitor Center at 307-739-3594 or the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center at 307-739-3399. Media: For more information, please contact Jackie Skaggs at 307-739-3393.

Summer Seminars at Historic AMK Ranch

(Wyoming) — Each summer, the University of Wyoming-National Park Service Research Center offers educational presentations from graduate students and research professors at the AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. The public seminars are free, and each session is preceded by a barbecue dinner at 5:30 p.m. (cost of $5). The schedule for July includes:

July 1: Jake Griffin will discuss the ecological consequence of bark

beetle disturbance in the Greater Yellowstone Area.

July 8: Ken Cannon will speak about humans, bison, and elk under the

umbrella-topic of the archeology of Jackson Hole.

July 15: Hank Harlow will talk about the adaptations to winter hibernation and summer “walking hibernation” found in black bears and polar bears.

July 22: Ken Barrick will give a presentation entitled “Towards a New National Policy for Protecting Old Faithful Geyser and Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Features.”

July 29: Michael Dillon will give a presentation called “Flying Mt.

Everest: How Alpine Bumblebees Fly Where Helicopters Fail.”

Public: For more information, please contact the park at 307-739-3300.

Media: For more information, please contact Jackie Skaggs at 307-739-3393.

American Indian Artists Share Their Heritage

(Wyoming) — For the past 35 years, artists from diverse tribes have demonstrated their traditional and contemporary art forms to allow visitors to Grand Teton National Park to gain a greater appreciation for, and understanding of, American Indian art and culture. Participating artists represent tribes from across the United States. Among the art forms demonstrated are painting, weaving, pottery, beadwork, and music. Guest artists exhibit daily, Monday through Sunday, from approximately 9 a.m. to

7 p.m. in the lower level of the Colter Bay Indian Arts Museum. Artists also offer items for purchase. The dates and guest artists scheduled for the 2010 season are:

June 28-July 4 Charlotte Tendoy (Shoshone) beadwork

July 5-11 Ted Moran (S’Klallan) Northwest coastal carving

July 12-18 Eddie Two Bulls (Ogalala Sioux) painting

July 19-25 Maynard White Owl beadwork & jewelry

(Nez Perce-Cayuse)

July 26-Aug. 1 Dolly & Bonnie Woodie (Navajo) weaving, clothing, &

beadwork

Public: For more information, please contact the Colter Bay Visitor Center at 307-739-3594. Media: For more information, please contact Jackie Skaggs at 307-739-3393.

Celebrating the Fourth at Cowpens National Battlefield (South Carolina) — Cowpens National Battlefield will offer “Fireworks and Family Fun” on July 3. In addition to battlefield walks, firing demonstrations of 18th-century weapons, and fireworks, there will be patriotic music played by the 246th Army National Guard band. For more information, please contact Donna Davis at 864-461-2828.

Three Marys of Manzanar: Exploring Women’s Lives in a Layered Past

(California) — Join Owens Valley author and historian Jane Wehrey at Manzanar National Historic Site on July 3 and 4 at 2 p.m. and July 5 at 11 a.m. as she introduces, through historic photographs and first-person accounts, three young women who once called Manzanar home. In this program presented by the Manzanar History Association, the lives of a Paiute daughter in 1904, a girl of the orchard community in 1924, and a young Japanese American internee of the World War II relocation center are windows into the past of this layered landscape where communities of diverse peoples have come, lived, and departed over more than 150 years.

Wehrey will be available at Manzanar after the program to answer questions and sign books. This program is part of “Celebration of Women of Eastern Sierra California,” a multi-venue project of exhibits, lectures, and programs that began in March 2010 and will conclude in September. For more information, please contact Maggie Wittenburg at 760-878-2411.

Celebrating the Glorious Fourth, 1860-Style (West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia) — Join us from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 4 in the Lower Town at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

Experience how 19th-century Americans celebrated the nation’s birthday with picnics, band concerts, and patriotic speeches honoring the Founding Fathers and the glorious republic. The celebration features the Wildcat Regiment Band and the Regimental Band of the 105th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. For more information, please contact Marsha Wassel at 304-535-6748.

50 Years of 50 Stars

(Maryland) — Fort McHenry is world-famous as the birthplace of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” written by Francis Scott Key about the fort’s 15-star, 15-stripe flag. Even today’s 50-star flag, however, had its moment of fame at Fort McHenry. Fifty years ago, on July 4, 1960, the very first 50-star flag was raised “o’er the ramparts” of Fort McHenry before it flew anywhere else in the country. On July 4, 2010, come celebrate a Hawaiian Fourth of July at Fort McHenry. At noon, a ceremony begins with the hoisting of a huge 20-by-38-foot, 50-star flag in a reenactment of the 1960 moment. The Aloha Boys will perform traditional Hawaiian music, while the flags of all 50 states line the fort’s ramparts. At 2 p.m., a music program entitled “From Patapsco to Pacific” will highlight both the fifes and drums of 1814 and traditional Hawaiian music. The Hawaiian Fourth of July comes to a close at 4 p.m. Visitors are welcome to help rangers lower the giant flag. For more information, please contact Vince Vaise or Jim Bailey at 410-962-4290.

Independence Day Commemoration

(Pennsylvania) — On Sunday, July 4 from 11a.m. to 4 p.m., join rangers at Valley Forge National Historical Park for a living history demonstration at the Muhlenberg Brigade huts. Enjoy children’s crafts and a traditional Fourth of July barbeque at the visitor center. The July Fourth programming is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Phil Sheridan at 215-597-0865.

Celebrate Independence Day with National Parks of New York Harbor (New York) — Several of the national parks in New York City are celebrating this pivotal American holiday. Castle Clinton National Monument will be the site of the Veterans Corps of Artillery-State of New York Fourth of July flag-raising ceremony at noon on the Fourth. The flag-raising includes a cannon-firing demonstration at Battery Park.

Families can enjoy a traditional Independence Day celebration at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site on July 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day’s events include music, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, the tolling of the church’s 250-year-old bell 13 times, speeches, and light refreshments. And while the Founding Fathers might have declared independence on July 4 in Philadelphia, it took five days for the news to reach New York. Federal Hall National Memorial will celebrate the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in New York City in 1776 with lectures and interactive programs on July 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please call 212-668-2208 or e-mail mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

Sagamore Hill Celebrates Independence Day 2010 (New York) — Sagamore Hill will hold free festivities on July 4 and 5 in honor of Independence Day. This holiday was important to Theodore Roosevelt, who often spoke at festivities in Oyster Bay and then gathered his extended family and friends at Sagamore Hill for a day of celebration.

The National Park Service and the Friends of Sagamore Hill invite you to dress in your best patriotic attire and bring your family and friends to the two days of festivities at Sagamore Hill, all of which are free and open to the public. For more information and a full schedule of events, please visit www.nps.gov/sahi or contact Shaun Roche at Shaun_Roche@nps.gov.

Family Sunday

(Massachusetts) — Every Sunday this summer is a Family Sunday at the Longfellow National Historic Site. From 1 to 3:30 p.m., come and enjoy free activities for children and families. Play 19th-century games, paint and draw, make crafts, and read and write poetry. Other special activities that are part of this series include:

July 4: Hands-on History with the Massachusetts 7th Regiment. Learn about the Revolutionary War through period artifacts and uniforms.

July 11: Cinderella presented at 2 p.m. by the Tanglewood Marionettes.

July 18: Norwegian wheat-weaving.

July 25: Watercolor and drawing workshop with artist Diana Tatz.

For more information, please contact Nancy Jones at nancy_jones@nps.gov or 617-876-4491.

Gloucester Hornpipe and Clog Society at Longfellow NHS

(Massachusetts) — Enjoy a rollicking performance of songs and tunes from the American colonial era, including Celtic jigs and reels and sea chanteys, on Sunday, July 4 at 4 p.m. This free event offers fun for all ages. For more information, please contact Nancy Jones at nancy_jones@nps.gov or 617-876-4491.

A Flag for the Fourth

(Massachusetts) — On Sunday, July 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., visit the visitor center of Boston National Historical Park and learn about the flags of the Revolution that have a Boston connection. Also, make a flag of your own. This program is free, and the visitor center is located on the second floor at 15 State Street. For more information, please contact Sean Hennessey at 617-242-5616 or sean_hennessey@nps.gov.

“Wendy the Welder!”

(Massachusetts) — Learn about the contributions of women in the nation’s shipyard before, during, and after World War II. This free program will take place on Sunday, July 4 from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center at Boston National Historical Park. For more information, please contact Sean Hennessey at 617-242-5616 or sean_hennessey@nps.gov.

Lunch and Learn Series

(Pennsylvania) — The Friends of Valley Forge Park will offer the following installments of the group’s Lunch and Learn Series in July. Talks take place on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. in the education center. Bring a brown-bag lunch; lemonade will be provided.

July 7: “The Park Has Gone to the Birds!!” Carrie Ashley, Education and Program Coordinator for the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, presents.

July 14: “The Navies of World Powers During the Revolution.” Park ranger George Matlack will lead a discussion.

July 21: In the final lecture of the summer series, Carris Kocher, a Friends Board member, and park volunteers will present on the topic of Patrick Henry and discuss the activities of this Founding Father during the park’s encampment.

For more information, please contact Phil Sheridan at 215-597-0865.

Jamaica Bay by Boat

(New York) — Take a ranger-guided ecology boat tour of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, part of Gateway National Recreation Area, from 7:15 to

8:45 p.m. on July 8. As you coast along, you’ll see verdant marshes. Expect waterfowl and other shorebirds, and don’t miss the sunset over the bay. The cost is $6. For more information, please call 718-318-4340.

30th Annual Kilauea Cultural Festival

(Hawaii) — On July 10, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park celebrates the culture of Hawaii’s first people. Participate in hands-on Hawaiian arts and crafts. Enjoy the beauty and rhythm of the hula. Savor the sweet sound of Hawaiian music, taste Hawaiian food, and play Hawaiian games and the ukulele. One purpose of this national park is to perpetuate Hawaiian culture and promote the appreciation of traditional values. Since 1980, this festival has epitomized the true spirit of ‘ohana (family). The festival provides the ideal occasion for the kupuna (elder), the keiki (child), the kama‘aina (native-born), and the malihini (newcomer) to come together for a day of fun and sharing. For more information, please contact Mardie Lane at 808-985-6018.

“1901 San Francisco Waterfront Strike!”—A Living History Reenactment

(California) — Gather at Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park on Saturday, July 10. The reenactment occurs at noon and repeats at 3 p.m. The park’s costumed living history interpreters reenact the momentous 1901 waterfront strike. Join the march of striking sailors, hear impassioned speeches by strikers and ship-owners, and voice your own opinions for or against the strike. Information is available at 415-447-5000. Members of the media, please contact John Cunnane at 415-561-4049.

Wildlife Ecologist Discusses Latest Book, Urban Carnivores

(California) — On July 10 at 2 p.m., join Dr. Seth Riley, National Park Service wildlife ecologist and co-editor of Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict and Conservation, at the National Park Service Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area headquarters in Thousand Oaks. Dr. Riley will share the latest findings on the mountain lions, bobcats, and coyotes in the Santa Monica Mountains, as well as his research on the future prospects of these local carnivores. After the presentation, he will sign copies of his new book. For more information, please contact Lauren Newman at 805-370-2343 or lauren_newman@nps.gov.

Meriwether Lewis Returns to Harpers Ferry (West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia) — On July 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Lower Town at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, discover the role of Harpers Ferry in the Lewis and Clark expedition. Richard Cheatham appears as Captain Meriwether Lewis. For more information, please contact Marsha Wassel at 304-535-6748.

A Golden Rose for a Poet

(Massachusetts) — At the Longfellow National Historic Site on Sunday, July

11 at 4 p.m., the New England Poetry Club presents this year’s Golden Rose Award to Mark Strand for his collection Blizzard of One. Strand, former Poet Laureate of the United States (1990) and winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1999, will read from his work. This free event includes book sales and a signing. For more information, please contact Nancy Jones at nancy_jones@nps.gov or 617-876-4491.

To Kill a Mockingbird at LBJ National Historical Park

(Texas) — Come and enjoy “Movies Under the Stars at the LBJ Ranch.” There will be a free showing of To Kill a Mockingbird at 7 p.m. on July 12. The movie will play outdoors beginning at sunset. Gates to the LBJ Ranch open at 7 p.m. Bring a picnic supper and lawn chairs. There will be free popcorn, sodas, and water. For more information, please contact Liz Lindig at 830-868-7128 ext. 231.

The Life & Legacy of Alexander Hamilton

(New York) — Alexander Hamilton was one of the most influential Founding Fathers, and a strong presence in both the American Revolution and the creation of the early republic.

The National Park Service will celebrate Hamilton’s life and legacy at Federal Hall National Memorial from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on July 12 with a series of talks and a special wreath-laying ceremony. For more information, please call 212-668-2208 or e-mail mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

Weird Sandy Hook

(New Jersey) — Explore the weird and wacky facts and myths surrounding the history and mysteries of Sandy Hook, part of Gateway National Recreation Area, at 8 p.m. on July 13. The program features parts of the Army proving ground, a maritime graveyard, and other sites. For more information, please call 732-872-5970.

The Power of Teton Weather

(Wyoming) — Grand Teton National Park will host a program about the powerful and dramatic Teton weather at 9 p.m. on July 16 in the Colter Bay Amphitheater. National Weather Service Meteorologist Chris Jones will talk about snowstorms and cold fronts, lightning storms, temperature extremes, and the intricacies of weather in the Teton Range and Jackson Hole. Did you know that the record low temperature for the state of Wyoming—a bone-chilling minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit—occurred in 1933 in what is now Grand Teton National Park? Meteorologist Jones will provide similar fascinating tidbits and share impressive weather photos during his PowerPoint presentation. Public: For more information, please contact the Colter Bay Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park at 307-739-3594.

Media: For more information, please contact Jackie Skaggs at 307-739-3393.

Oregon Trail Contradance

(Washington) — Join park staff and volunteers for the 20th annual Oregon Trail Contradance at Whitman Mission National Historic Site on July 17 from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Experienced callers teach and call the dances, which include couples dances, line dances, and square dances. Enjoy the evening under the stars by dancing to the jigs and reels played by the Wednesday Night Contraband. For more information, please contact Roger Trick at 509-522-6360 or visit http://www.nps.gov/whmi/whats-new.htm.

Celebrating the Music of Violinist Ole Bull

(Massachusetts) — Karl Orvik and friends pay homage to this world-renowned 19th-century Norwegian violinist at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 18 at the Longfellow National Historic Site. Bull served as the inspiration for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Musician in Tales of a Wayside Inn. This performance, 200 years after Bull’s birth, will highlight his music and that of Edvard Grieg and other Norwegian composers. The concert is free.

For more information, please contact Nancy Jones at nancy_jones@nps.gov or 617-876-4491.

“Slavery, the Abolitionist Movement and Reflections of Jefferson”

(West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia) — Listen to this insightful, dramatic presentation on the issue of slavery. There are performances in the Lower Town at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on July 24. Bill Barker plays Thomas Jefferson. For more information, please contact Marsha Wassel at 304-535-6748.

Medical Weekend: Giving Aid and Comfort in 1864 (West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia) — From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 24 and 25, spend a “medical weekend” in the Lower Town at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Hear the story of the national and local efforts by civilians and the military to sustain the Union army as General Philip Sheridan prepared his troops for the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. For more information, please contact Marsha Wassel at 304-535-6748.

A Great Day in Harlem at Grant’s Tomb

(New York) — Each year, Harlem Week offers an all-day public event on the plaza of General Grant National Memorial to celebrate family unity. This year, A Great Day in Harlem will take place on July 25 from noon to approximately 8 p.m. and will feature international exhibitors and vendors, cultural and gospel performances, an outdoor fashion show, a concert, and more. For more information, please call 212-668-2208 or e-mail mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

Marge Piercy and Garden Poetry

(Massachusetts) — Have some cultural and horticultural fun at the Longfellow National Historic Site on Sunday, July 25 at 4 p.m. Poet and novelist Marge Piercy, joined by poets Teresa Cader and Victor Howes, celebrates nature through poetry. This free event includes book sales and a signing. For more information, please contact Nancy Jones at nancy_jones@nps.gov or 617-876-4491.

Reading, Writing, & Thinking the Hudson Valley (New York) — Read, write, and think the Hudson Valley from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, July 27 to 29. Though aimed at educators, the program, held by Teaching the Hudson Valley at the Wallace Center at the Home and Library of Franklin D. Roosevelt in Hyde Park, is appropriate for anyone interested in the Hudson Valley. Take a three-day learning vacation and discover the region’s culture, environment, and history. For more information, please contact Elise Cleva at 202-208-6843.

“John Brown’s Boston”

(Massachusetts) — Every Wednesday in July at 11 a.m., join a ranger from Boston African American National Historic Site for this walking tour focused on John Brown’s connections to Boston. The free, 90-minute tour will take you to places where Brown met with the Secret Six and other supporters, as well as to prominent sites relevant to Boston’s struggle to end slavery. Tours will start at the Samuel Adams statue in front of Faneuil Hall and conclude at the Museum of African American History’s African Meeting House on Beacon Hill. For more information, please contact Sean Hennessey at 617-242-5616 or sean_hennessey@nps.gov.

“Star-Spangled” Ceremony at Fort McHenry

(Maryland) — Come to Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine on July 31 at 6 p.m. for a special twilight tattoo ceremony featuring patriotic music, military pageantry, and living history. The program begins with a performance by the U.S. Navy Band, Drill Team, and Color Guard. The U.S. Navy Drill Team will perform modern rifle exercises. The team’s split-second timing and precision marching have dazzled audiences around the world. For a flavor of history, the Fort McHenry Guard, representing the 1814 defenders of Baltimore, will demonstrate battle tactics of the War of 1812. The Guard offers a unique historical experience at every free twilight tattoo ceremony at Fort McHenry. At the July 31 ceremony, the Guard, dressed in the uniforms of the 1814 defenders of Baltimore, will perform a cannon drill, a musket exercise, and a bayonet demonstration. The program concludes with the audience folding the 30-by-42-foot Star-Spangled Banner Flag. The ceremony is free, and parking is provided on site. For more information, please contact Vincent Vaise at 410-962-4290 ext. 201.

I Will Follow Them to the Death: Sheridan’s Soldiers, 1864 (West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia) — Come to the Lower Town at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., July 31 through August 1. The 11th New Jersey will demonstrate Union army garrison duties such as guard mount parade; searching citizens; searching and arresting spies, deserters, and traitors; processing prisoners of war; and maintaining military security in an occupied enemy town. For more information, please contact Marsha Wassel at 304-535-6748.

Sail Aboard the Scow Schooner Alma

(California) — Sail San Francisco Bay aboard the restored scow schooner Alma, built in 1891. Haul on lines to raise sails and discover maritime history through onboard talks by rangers during the three-hour trip. Alma sails on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays in July. Meet at the dock at Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park at 12:30 p.m. The trip lasts from 1 to 4 p.m. Adults: $40; discounted fees for youth and seniors. Advance reservations required. For information and reservations, please call 415-447-5000. Members of the media, please contact John Cunnane at 415-561-7049.

Living on the Edge

(Florida) — Discover the significance of the underwater world of Gulf Islands National Seashore. You can “live on the edge” at the Naval Live Oaks Picnic Area on Sundays, June 20 to August 8, at 1 p.m., and on Mondays, June 21 to August 9, at 2 p.m. For more information, please contact Gail Bishop at 850-934-2618 or Steamer Lawhead at 850-934-2629.

Civil War in Pensacola

(Florida) — This auditorium program runs at Gulf Islands National Seashore’s Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center at 10 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from June 7 to August 13. For more information, please contact Gail Bishop at 850-934-2618 or Steamer Lawhead at 850-934-2629.

Habitat Protectors of Yosemite in Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove

(California) — Yosemite National Park is seeking volunteers for the Habitat Protectors of Yosemite (HaPY) stewardship program. Volunteers work beside Resources Management and Science Division staff on restoration projects in the Yosemite Valley on Wednesday mornings between Memorial Day and Labor Day. On special dates in July and August, volunteers help protect the giant sequoias in the Mariposa Grove in Wawona. HaPY provides a great opportunity for families to volunteer together and create memories while helping to manage the park’s resources. Please visit http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hapy.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Sunset at the Seashore

(Florida) — Gulf Islands National Seashore offers two ways to enjoy this spectacular time of day. Discover amazing facts and folklore about our closest star and how it affects life on Earth through the program “Sunset at the Seashore.” Location: Battery Payne. Date and time: Mondays, June 7 to August 9, 7 p.m. to sunset. Also, take a sunset walk on the beach. On Saturdays, from June 12 to August 14, at 7:30 p.m., join a park ranger for a 1.5-mile, hour-long walk around the west end of Santa Rosa Island to Pensacola Pass. Meet at Battery Payne for the walk. For more information, please contact Gail Bishop at 850-934-2618 or Steamer Lawhead at 850-934-2629.

New Scout Ranger Program Attracts Attention at Jewel Cave (South Dakota) — In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, Jewel Cave National Monument has crafted and implemented a new Scout ranger program. The program offers hands-on learning experiences and volunteerism for troops and packs spending time in the Black Hills of western South Dakota. Participants must perform at least three hours of volunteer service at Jewel Cave and take part in a ranger-guided activity.

An activity booklet allows the Scouts to learn how the National Park Service manages the surface and sub-surface resources of the monument. Upon completion of the program requirements, Scouts receive an embroidered patch. The National Park Service and Boy Scouts of America are teaming together to offer this program year-round. For more information, please contact Bradley Block at 605-673-8330 or bradley_block@nps.gov.

Common Ground

(Nationwide) — The latest issue of the magazine Common Ground: Preserving Our Nation’s Heritage will soon be online. Please see http://commonground.cr.nps.gov/Index.cfm. For more information, please contact Elise Cleva at 202-208-6843.

What’s That in the Sky? Is it a Bird? A Plane? It’s an Archeologist!

(California) — A Yosemite National Park fire archeologist is learning to be a smokejumper through a detail to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Smokejumper Program in Missoula, Montana. While training, Jun Kinoshita has begun to blog his experience. He aims to use the knowledge he gains to further the National Park Service’s protection of cultural, natural, and wilderness resources in fire situations. Read his blog at http://npsfam.blogspot.com/ to learn more about how fire is managed on public lands. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Frazil Ice Podcast Entertains Yosemite Followers

(California) — View the latest episode, “Frazil Ice,” of the Yosemite Nature Notes video podcast series. Frazil ice flows are dramatic natural events that occur in the waterfalls of Yosemite Valley during March and April. Please visit http://www.nps.gov/yose/photosmultimedia/ynn9-frazilice.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Yosemite Scientists to Use Lichen to Study Air Quality

(California) — Scientists at Yosemite National Park will use lichen diversity to measure impacts on air quality. Scientists will research how lichen serves as an indicator of nitrogen deposition, which varies over areas of the park. Most pollution that causes high ozone concentrations contains or ends up containing nitrogen after it reacts with sunlight in the atmosphere. Measurements suggest that the deposition of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the Sierra Nevada, especially in the fragile high elevations, is up to five times higher than it was in the 19th century.

Please see http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/airquality.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Archeology News

(Nationwide) — The most recent (winter 2010) issue of CRM: The Journal of Heritage Stewardship publicizes the finding of evidence that the expedition of Vázquez de Coronado passed through what is now El Morro National Monument in New Mexico. An article by Clay Mathers, Charles Haecker, James W. Kendrick, and Steve Baumann discusses the evidence. For more information, please contact Elise Cleva at 202-208-6843.

Seashore Works to Preserve Headstones

(North Carolina) — At Cape Lookout National Seashore, there is an ongoing project to document, repair, straighten, and clean headstones within the cemeteries of Portsmouth Village and Shackelford Banks. For a week during March 2010, Dr. Frances Gale of the University of Texas at Austin, Historic Preservation Program, and several graduate students completed a condition assessment of these cemeteries. For three weeks in May and June, graduate students Jessica Ugarte and Kelley Russell returned to Cape Lookout to begin cleaning the headstones and making repairs. Dr. Gale and the graduate students will return this fall to complete additional restoration activities. For more information, please contact Wouter Ketel at 252-728-2250 ext. 3005.

National Fossil Day, October 13, 2010

(Nationwide) — The National Park Service and the American Geological Institute will hold the first annual National Fossil Day this year during Earth Science Week (www.earthsciweek.org). National Fossil Day is a celebration organized to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, as well as to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational values. More than 228 national parks contain fossils. The National Park Service is partnering with museums, professional organizations, and other groups to plan outreach activities across the country on October 13. For more information, please contact Vince Santucci at 703-289-2531.

Last Dam Summer

(Washington) — The largest dam removal in U.S. history will begin next year in the Elwha Valley of Olympic National Park. The project will free the Elwha River after 100 years. Salmon populations will swell as all five species of Pacific salmon return to more than 70 miles of river and streamand to a still-wild ecosystem. The return of fish will draw back bears, eagles, and other animals, while removing the dams will reestablish the natural flow of sediment from the mountains to the coast. The movement of sediment will rebuild wetlands, beaches, and the estuary at the mouth of the Elwha River. The returning salmon and restored river will renew the culture of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, whose members have lived along the Elwha River since time immemorial. Tribal members will have access to sacred sites that are now inundated, and cultural traditions can be reborn.

The National Park Service and the tribe are primary partners on the dam removal. For more information, please contact Barb Maynes at 360-565-3005.

Saguaro National Park to Host BioBlitz 2011

(Arizona) — Saguaro National Park, bordering Tucson, will host the 2011 National Park Service/National Geographic BioBlitz, scheduled for October

21 and 22, 2011. Part scientific endeavor, part festival, and part outdoor classroom, a BioBlitz is a two-day celebration of biodiversity centered on a 24-hour race to count species. During a BioBlitz, teams of scientists, schoolchildren, and the general public work together to find and identify as many species as possible in a given location. For more information, please contact Andy Fisher at 520-733-5139.

Would you like to receive Parktips in your e-mail?

The National Park Service has created an e-mail mailing list called NPSNews. NPSNews subscribers receive, via e-mail, Parktips, as well as other timely, national-park-related news items. If you would like to receive NPSNews, just send an e-mail to majordomo@webmail.itc.nps.gov.

Write “subscribe npsnews” in the body of the message. You should receive a confirmation message shortly thereafter. Contact: NPS Communications Office, 202-208-6843.

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA ™

The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.

For the latest news and press information from the National Park Service, visit www.nps.gov and select the “More News” link

Related posts

• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• Parktips – April 2010 (0)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)
• Parktips – February 2010 (3)

For Immediate Release – June 17, 2010

Contact: David Barna, (202) 208-6843, David_Barna@nps.gov

Jennifer Mummart, (202) 208-4986, Jennifer_Mummart@nps.gov

First Lady Michelle Obama Asks Junior Rangers to Take It Outside at Our

National Parks

WASHINGTON – “Let’s Move Outside, Junior Rangers!” is First Lady Michelle

Obama’s call to kids across the country this summer. Today, the National

Park Service kicks off Let’s Move Outside Junior Ranger in 20 parks.

National Park Junior Rangers will not only have fun and get exercise but

also receive an extra reward for working up a sweat.

Young people who complete at least one physical activity in pursuit of

their Junior Ranger badge receive a special sticker that designates them as

a Let’s Move Outside Junior Ranger. The activities range from adventures

like hiking with a ranger at Grand Canyon National Park to body surfing at

Canaveral National Seashore and canoeing at Mississippi National River and

Recreation Area.

Let’s Move Outside, led by the Department of the Interior and the

Department of Agriculture, provides tools and information to parents to

make it easy to enjoy the outdoors and be active. It is part of First Lady

Michelle Obama’s nationwide campaign to end childhood obesity within a

generation.

“The Let’s Move Outside program in our national parks provides a wonderful

way for parents to gain a passion for outdoor recreation while teaching

them about our nation’s beautiful lands, our rich cultural heritage, and

our storied past,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

The program engages young people from all backgrounds in a range of

educational programs and self-guided activities on America’s public lands

and waters. From hiking and biking, to swimming, paddling, and horseback

riding, these activities promise to be fun, healthy, and family friendly.

Throughout the summer, Let’s Move Outside! programs and events will be held in conjunction with schools, community groups, and other partners.

“Young people inspire us; we want to help them be vigorous and curious for

life. It starts with family fun. National parks are amazing places where

exercise is disguised as adventure, and we sneak in some learning too,”

National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis said.

Let’s Move Outside will soon be integrated into other programs, like the

Fish and Wildlife Service’s “Let’s Go Outside” initiative, which seeks to

reconnect kids and families to nature in our country’s 552 national

wildlife refuges, and the Bureau of Land Management’s “Take It Outside”

program.

Primary federal partners in this initiative are the Department of the

Interior’s National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of

Land Management, and the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service.

“As a department that manages one fifth of our nation’s land, the

Department of the Interior will play a vital role in Let’s Move Outside!”

said Julie Rodriguez, director of the department’s Youth Office. “Our

parks, refuges, and other public lands are waiting to be explored and

enjoyed by our nation’s young people, and we are eager to help them get

outdoors.”

By summer’s end, 50 national parks will offer Let’s Move Outside Junior

Ranger. Before heading out, visit www.letsmove.gov/outside for more

information about activities and participating parks. This website hub will

link families to the great outdoors and give tips and ideas on how to best

plan and enjoy an active visit.

The 20 parks launching today:

Canaveral National Seashore, Florida

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa

Fire Island National Seashore, New York

Fort Dupont Park, Washington, DC

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Minnesota

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

New River Gorge National River, West Virginia

Prince William Forest Park, Virginia

Redwood National and State Parks, California

Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho

www.nps.gov

Related posts

• Parktips – October 2009 (0)
• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• Parktips – February 2010 (3)
• Parktips – April 2010 (0)

Parktips – June 2010

Parktips is a monthly compilation of newsworthy items and story ideas from the National Park Service. A new edition is posted on the first week of each month at http://www.nps.gov/news/index.htm. Just click on the Story Leads link to access Parktips. You can view past issues of Parktips. You can also receive a personal copy of Parktips, via e-mail or fax, by registering at our website.

Habitat Protectors of Yosemite

(California) — Yosemite National Park is seeking volunteers for the weekly Habitat Protectors of Yosemite (HaPY) volunteer stewardship projects.

Volunteers work with Resources Management & Science Division staff on various projects on Wednesday mornings between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The projects present a great opportunity for families to volunteer together and create memories while helping to manage the park’s resources. Please visit the HaPY webpage for more information:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hapy.htm. Also for more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Learn to Play the Cajun Way

(Louisiana) — Free workshops in playing accordion, fiddle, and guitar Cajun-style, and in Cajun dance, will be offered by the Cajun French Music Association Acadiana Charter Chapter of Eunice at the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. The workshops will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 1 through 17.

For more information, please consult www.nps.gov/jela or contact Kristy Wallisch at 504-589-3882 ext. 225.

Summer Night Cruise Tours of Liberty Island (New York) — On eight Thursday nights during June, July and August, Liberty Island will be open to the public. The evening tours will be on June 3 and 10; July 8, 15, and 22; and August 5, 12, and 19. There will be 1,200 tickets available for each night. Ticket prices include round-trip ferry transportation from Battery Park, a full dinner on Liberty Island, and interpretive programs offered on the island. Visitors can tour the grounds but will not be allowed into the statue. They may spend as long as two hours on Liberty Island but can return after one hour. In the event of inclement weather, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum will substitute for the Statue of Liberty National Monument. The National Park Service, Statue Cruises, and Evelyn Hill, Inc. are collaborating to offer this summer program. For more information, please contact Michael Burke of Statue Cruises at 551-655-0405 or Darren Boch of the National Park Service at 212-668-2252.

Arts-y & Craft-y Summer Fun

(Texas) — Join the staff of Chamizal National Memorial each summer month to explore different crafts from Mexico. Participants will learn basic concepts of art while delving into cultures south of the border. June’s craft is Huichol Yarn Art, which teaches an art lesson on lines. Sessions will be held on June 3 at 9:30 a.m., June 10 at 11 a.m., June 18 at 2:30 p.m., June 23 at 10 a.m., and June 29 at 1 p.m. All sessions are free of charge and offered on a first-come basis. For more information, please contact Michael Groomer at 915-532-7273 ext. 124.

Golden Anniversary of Bent’s Old Fort

(Colorado) — An opening reception on Friday, June 4, followed by a day (June 5) with speakers, living history demonstrations, a grand banquet, and a fandango in the plaza of the fort will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the law that established Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, which President Eisenhower signed on June 3, 1960. The event will commemorate the site’s transformation from ruins into one of the premiere living history sites in the United States. For a full schedule of events, please see the park’s website, www.nps.gov/beol. For more information, please contact Rick Wallner at 719-383-5024 or Greg Holt at 719-383-5023.

National Trails Day

(Nationwide) — June 5 is National Trails Day. Events include guided hikes affording breathtaking views at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Lower Town). From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Valley Forge National Historical Park’s Betzwood Picnic Area, visitors can hike along the River Trail, participate in educational clinics and fitness assessments, view partner exhibits, and more. The activities at Valley Forge are free and open to the public. For more information about events at Harpers Ferry, please contact Marsha Wassel at 304-535-6748. For more information about events at Valley Forge, please contact Ernestine White at 610-783-5384 or Ernestine_White@nps.gov. For more information about National Trails Day, please contact Elise Cleva at 202-208-6843 or Elise_M_Cleva@nps.gov.

Grand Opening—Victory Woods Trail

(New York) — On Saturday, June 5 at 11a.m., join National Park Service staff at Saratoga Monument for an opening ceremony and a guided walk along the new one-mile Victory Woods Trail in Saratoga National Historical Park.

The new trail features a universally accessible boardwalk. Light refreshments and presentations by community organizations will be offered at the grand opening between noon and 1:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Gina Johnson at 518-664-9821 ext. 227 or gina_johnson@nps.gov.

Ride, and Remember the Trail of Tears

(Arkansas) — Park rangers from Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site will lead bicycle tours along the Trail of Tears (on the Arkansas River Trail) on June 5 and June 19. The tours begin at 10 a.m. on the Arkansas River Trail by the Trail of Tears exhibits in Riverfront Park.

Little Rock and North Little Rock formed a major stop during the removal of American Indians, via the Trail of Tears, from the East to what is now Oklahoma. On the bicycle tours, ranger-guides will speak about the origin of the trail, the methods of travel, the conditions during removal, and slavery on the trail in Arkansas. For more information, please contact Laura Miller at 501-374-1957.

Wildflower Eruption

(Idaho) — Witness the annual eruption of spring blooms on a ranger-guided hike through the volcanic wonderland of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. June is the peak of the wildflower season at Craters of the Moon, and special walks will be offered on Saturdays, June 5, 12, and 19. June is also the start of the daily schedule of ranger-guided activities. Visit http://www.nps.gov/crmo/planyourvisit/events.htm for details. For more information, please contact Ted Stout at 208-527-1330.

Grand Opening of Western Arctic Parklands Visitor Center

(Alaska) — Western Arctic Parklands will celebrate the opening of its new visitor center on June 5 in Kotzebue. The center hosts exhibits and cultural demonstrations by local residents and orients visitors to the four park areas it serves: Bering Land Bridge, Cape Krusenstern, Noatak, and Kobuk Valley. The opening day activities will include children’s programs, Native dancers, a community supper, and presentations in the theater. For more information, please contact John Quinley at 907-644-3512.

Get Back to the American Revolution at Cowpens National Battlefield (South Carolina) — Cowpens National Battlefield will hold several special events in June, all of which are free and open to the public. On June 5 and 6, participants in the 1st Maryland—Southern Campaign reenacting unit will present a living history weekend. These re-enactors, who portray Maryland Continental Soldiers during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution, will demonstrate how soldiers lived in the 18th century. On Saturday, June 12, the South Carolina Independent Rangers will demonstrate musket and rifle firing at 10:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.

The Independent Rangers portray Revolutionary War backwoods militia and demonstrate military and civilian life in the 18th century in the South Carolina backcountry. On June 27, the park will have volunteers demonstrating a variety of historical or hands-on activities at the Robert Scruggs House from 1:30 to 4 p.m. For more information, please contact Donna Davis at 864-461-2828.

Party with the Stars

(Arizona) — The 20th annual Grand Canyon Star Party will be held from Saturday, June 5 through Saturday, June 12 on the South and North rims of the eponymous feature of Grand Canyon National Park. Amateur astronomers from across the country will volunteer their expertise. Free slide programs will be offered, and numerous telescopes will be set up to view planets, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies at night, and the sun by day. For more information, please contact Public Affairs Specialist Shannan Marcak at 928-638-7958.

Summer Saturdays Return to Federal Hall

(New York) — Summer Saturdays are back by popular demand. Federal Hall National Memorial will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the following days:

June 5, 12, 19, and 26; July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31; and August 7, 14, 21, and 28. This summer, the National Park Service teams up with the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy to offer the guided audio walking tour New York Freedom Trail. The tour will be offered at 11 a.m. each Saturday.

To learn more about the New York Freedom Trail, please visit www.nyharborparks.org. For all other information regarding Summer Saturdays, please call 212-668-2208 or e-mail mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

A Landscape Gardener’s Time in Maine

(New York) — On Sunday, June 6 at 2 p.m., renowned landscape architect Patrick Chassé will give an illustrated talk entitled “The Maine Work of Beatrix Farrand.” He will discuss the landscape gardener’s life and work in Maine from her childhood through her retirement at Garland Farm. The lecture covers a number of private commissions that are rarely seen by the public. The talk, one of the Bellefield Design Lectures, will be held in the Henry A. Wallace Visitor Center, located at the Home of Franklin D.

Roosevelt National Historic Site and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. The lecture will be followed by a garden party at Bellefield (a house from the 1700s that now provides workspace for the National Park Service) amid hundreds of peonies in bloom. Heirloom plants, books, and garden treasures will be on sale at the party. The fee for the lecture is $30 per person and $25 for members of the Beatrix Farrand Garden Association & Garden Conservancy. For more information, please call

845-229-9115 ext. 26.

Grand Opening of New Exhibits at Hampton

(Maryland) — One of the oldest buildings in Hampton National Historic Site will soon boast new exhibits. The lower house, which sits among surviving farm buildings, was first constructed in the mid-1700s. It will re-open with brand new interpretive exhibits on June 10. With these exhibits and other efforts, the National Park Service is trying to diversify the stories told at Hampton National Historic Site, which was once part of a 25,000-acre estate owned by the Ridgely family. The public is invited to attend the grand opening of the exhibits on Thursday, June 10 between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. For more information, please contact Hampton National Historic Site at 410-823-1309 ext. 251.

Science Café

(Texas) — Come join the fun at Beaumont’s first Science Café from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on June 10 at Sertinos Café (5657 Eastex Freeway, Beaumont). Dr.

Paul Tinerella will present a five-minute PowerPoint presentation on aquatic truebugs, followed by a five-to-10-minute talk. The evening will conclude with a 20-minute group discussion. Begun in Europe in the early 1990s, science cafés offer a relaxed forum for the exchange of scientific ideas. Anyone can come to this friendly setting to sharpen his or her knowledge of the modern sciences. No reservation is required. For more information, please contact Leslie Dubey of Big Thicket National Preserve at 409-951-6700 or leslie_dubey@nps.gov, or Linda Brindle at 936-274-1181 or Director@bigthicket.org.

White Sands Institute

(New Mexico) — White Sands National Monument and New Mexico State University—Alamogordo (NMSUA) are teaming up to offer two field seminars focused on New Mexico’s extraordinary White Sands. In “New Discoveries! The Moths of White Sands” (June 11 to 12), participants can set traps and make their own discoveries. Join entomologist Eric Metzler for this exciting field class and learn about the 14 species of moths that have been recently discovered at the White Sands and the moths’ amazing adaptations to this unique environment. Friday evening will include setting moth traps.

Saturday morning will hold a collection of the traps and a wrap-up lecture.

On June 18, postdoctoral researcher Jeanne Robertson will teach “Evolution in Black & White: White Lizards at White Sands.” Robertson is a biologist specializing in animal adaptations. Students can participate in supervised hands-on activities during this field lecture at White Sands National Monument. Dr. Robertson will present both indoor and outdoor lectures about the current research in animal adaptations presently occurring at White Sands. Each seminar costs $55 per person. For more information or to register, please call Community Education at NMSUA at 575-439-3842 or send an e-mail to commed@nmsua.nmsu.edu.

Big Thicket National Preserve Biodiversity Day

(Texas) — Celebrate Biodiversity Day at Big Thicket National Preserve.

Learn more about the biodiversity of Big Thicket and the on-going All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) of the national preserve. The activities begin on Friday, June 11 with night walks and continue on Saturday, June 12 with seminars, demonstrations, scientist-led field trips, and other events.

Saturday events will meet at the Field Research Station in Saratoga. The Friday night walks will be by reservation only, and attendees will meet at a designated location. Space will be limited; make your reservations early.

For more information, please contact Leslie Dubey at 409-951-6700 or leslie_dubey@nps.gov, or Linda Brindle at 936-274-1181 or Director@bigthicket.org.

Species Count … Can You?

(New York) — Come to Gateway National Recreation Area’s Jamaica Bay Unit from 3 p.m. June 11 to 3 p.m. June 12 to measure the health of one of the most important urban national parks. Work closely with teams of scientists and naturalists as part of BioBlitz 2010. A BioBlitz is part contest (racing against a 24-hour clock), part educational event, and part scientific endeavor. By observing as many plants and animals as you can, you’ll help to create a snapshot of the biodiversity and wildlife in our own backyard. To register to participate in the scientific survey or related public programs, please visit http://jamaicabay.ciesin.columbia.edu/bioblitz. For other information, please call 718-354-4607 or e-mail jane_ahern@nps.gov.

Experience Colonial Life with St. Paul’s Church (New York) — Join the staff of St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site for colonial music, dancing, crafts, games, and arms from noon to 4 p.m. on June 12. There will also be special tours of the church’s bell tower and of the colonial section of the cemetery, and a recital on the historic pipe organ. For more information, please call 212-668-2208 or e-mail mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

Ride the Rockies

(Colorado) — Colorado National Monument will be Day One for “Ride the Rockies,” a major cycling tour sponsored by the Denver Post that changes routes annually. More than 2,400 cyclists will ride historic Rim Rock Drive on Sunday, June 13 as their Day One ride.

The tour last rode in the Monument in 2005. Cycling has dramatically increased at Colorado NM since that time. The park sees approximately 15,000 cyclists annually, with more each year. The website www.nps.gov/colm offers additional information for cyclists regarding the nature of Rim Rock Drive, the three unlighted tunnels, and the necessity of lights on bicycles going through the Monument’s tunnels. For more information, please contact Joan Anzelmo, Superintendent of Colorado National Monument, at 970-858-3617 ext. 301.

“Sunday Concerts in the Park”

(California) — The concert series kicks off at Peter Strauss Ranch on June

13 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Come out for an afternoon of rousing music and family fun! Join Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and Topanga Banjo and Fiddle for an afternoon of Southern California bluegrass, old-time, and folk music in the mountains. The free concert series will continue throughout July, August, and September. For more information, please contact Lauren Newman at 805-370-2343 or lauren_newman@nps.gov.

“Barking Up a Tree” at Biscayne National Park Gallery

(Florida) — Close-up photography of the patterns and textures of some of South Florida’s trees will be on view at Biscayne National Park’s Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery from May 24 through August 22. A “Meet the Artists” reception slated for Sunday, June 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. will feature a talk by the artists as well as refreshments. While searching for national champion trees (the largest of their species in the United States), South Florida naturalist Bob Showler began to notice the special qualities of each tree’s bark. He teamed up with photographer Tim Taylor to produce this unusual exhibit, titled “Barking Up a Tree.” For more information, please contact Ranger Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144 ext. 007.

Public Archeology

(California) — From June 14 to 23, members of the public can help the National Park Service conduct archeological investigations and stabilization of World War II-era landscaping at Manzanar National Historic Site. Volunteers can work at Merritt Park, the largest internee-built landscape feature remaining at any of the country’s 10 World War II relocation centers. There will also be archeological jobs within the residential blocks at Manzanar, at the sites of gardens created by internees. For more information, please contact Manzanar Volunteer Program Manager Carrie Andresen at 760-878-2194 ext. 2714 or Carrie_Andresen@nps.gov.

LEED and Historic Buildings Training

(Louisiana) — The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training

(NCPTT) is partnering with the Louisiana National Guard to provide training to National Guard members from across the country on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. NCPTT will also help identify ways in which the National Guard can incorporate sustainability and energy efficiency into its buildings. The training is scheduled for June 14 to 18 at Jackson Barracks in New Orleans. For more information, please contact Andy Ferrell at 318-356-7444 or Andrew_Ferrell@nps.gov.

Science Month

(Texas) — In June (Science Month), Chamizal National Memorial is offering two workshops for teachers about science and the memorial. “The Science of Sustainability” (June 15, 9 a.m. to noon) covers the topics of recycling, renewable and non-renewable resources, the wise use of lab materials, and the National Park Service’s focus on sustainability. “All About Earth Science” (June 16, 9 a.m. to noon) will help teachers incorporate new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards in a field trip to Chamizal National Memorial. Each workshop is free of charge and limited to 25 participants. Chamizal is CPE-certified, and all teachers from Texas will earn three Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits for attending each of these sessions. For more information, please contact Michael Groomer at 915-532-7273 ext. 124.

“Views & Visitors: the Yosemite Experience in the 19th Century”

(California) — This exhibit, featuring paintings, prints, artifacts, and ephemera from Yosemite National Park’s early years, will be on display this summer in the Yosemite Museum gallery. Photographs and paintings of visitors and the landscape, early publications and memorabilia, historic hotel registers, and the Grand Register of the Cosmopolitan will be on view. The exhibit, made possible by a grant from The Yosemite Conservancy, includes an interactive kiosk featuring entries from the Cosmopolitan Register and a digital slideshow of historic views of Yosemite visitors and hotels. The opening reception on June 15 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. is open to the public. The exhibit will be open from June 16 to September 30 daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and from October 1 to 31 daily from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, please contact Barbara Beroza, Curator of Collections at Yosemite National Park, at 209-372-0297.

Horse Sense and Survival

(North Carolina) — Cape Lookout National Seashore’s first wild horse tour of the 2010 season will be on Wednesday, June 16. Trips in the Horse Sense and Survival program are walking tours following the wild Banker horses of Shackleford Banks. Join Dr. Sue Stuska, a wildlife biologist who specializes in horses, for a day-long walking trip. Dr. Stuska’s intimate knowledge of the horses makes for an exciting and enlightening glimpse into the relationships, family bonds, behavior, and daily life of these animals.

For more information, please contact Wouter Ketel at 252-728-2250 ext.

3005.

Lectures, Lunch, and Lemonade

(Pennsylvania) — The Friends of Valley Forge Park’s Lunch and Learn Series begins June 16. The talks take place in Valley Forge National Historical Park’s Education Center on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m., according to the following schedule. June 16: “The Philadelphia Campaign” * June 23:

“Carpenter’s Hall” * June 30: “Archaeology,” for which Joe Blondine will be the guest speaker. Participants should bring their own brown bag lunches.

Lemonade will be provided. For more information, please contact Kimberly Szewczyk at 610-783-1014 or Kimberly_Szewczyk@nps.gov.

Anniversaries—Bunker Hill and Now We Are Enemies

(Massachusetts) — On June 17, American History Press will publish a 50th anniversary edition of Now We Are Enemies: The Story of Bunker Hill by the distinguished historian of the American Revolution Thomas Fleming.

Originally published in 1960, the book launched Fleming’s writing career and is still considered the most complete account of the battle that took place on June 17, 1775. On Wednesday, June 16, 2010, Mr. Fleming will make an appearance at the Battle of Bunker Hill Museum in Charlestown for a reading and a book signing. On Thursday, June 17, he will be a guest at the official ceremony commemorating the 235th anniversary of the battle at the Bunker Hill Monument in Boston National Historical Park. For more information, please contact Sean Hennessey, Public Affairs Officer, at

617-242-5616 or sean_hennessey@nps.gov.

Celebrate Juneteenth with the National Parks of New York Harbor (New York) — On Juneteenth (June 19, 1865), General Gordon Granger brought news of the Emancipation, and a force of Union soldiers, to Texas roughly three years after Abraham Lincoln declared American slaves free on September 22, 1862. This year marks the 145th anniversary of that day, when the Civil War ended in Texas and slavery with it. New York is among the 31 states that recognize Juneteenth as a holiday. Join the National Park Service on June 19 to celebrate this important date. African Burial Ground National Monument will mark the day with a special talk by Dr. Joy DeGruy on the history and significance of Juneteenth at 11 a.m. Nicola and Rufus James will lead a presentation of poetry, music, and dialogue commemorating the official end of slavery in America at Castle Clinton National Monument at 1 p.m. For more information, please call 212-668-2208 or e-mail mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

Governors Island to Celebrate Army Heritage Day (New York) — Discover more than 150 years of army history at Governors Island National Monument on June 19. National Park Service rangers, the 319 th U.S. Army Band, Revolutionary and Civil War living historians, and members of today’s military will provide re-enactments, children’s programming, musical demonstrations, and lectures that pay tribute to army life on Governors Island. For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/gois, call 212-668-2208, or e-mail mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

March-Out of the Continental Army Commemoration

(Pennsylvania) — To honor those soldiers who left Valley Forge and went on to secure our nation’s independence, interpreters from the Oneida Indian Nation, park rangers, and volunteers will host a living history encampment at the Muhlenberg Brigade huts at Valley Forge National Historical Park on Saturday, June 19. The encampment will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cannon firings are scheduled for 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. The encampment is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact William Troppman at 610-783-1075 or William_Troppman@nps.gov.

Second Translocation of Endangered Fish

(Arizona) — On June 23, the National Park Service, in conjunction with the Bureau of Reclamation, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, will move an additional 300 juvenile humpback chub to Shinumo Creek in Grand Canyon National Park. The multi-year translocation experiment began in 2009 with the successful translocation of 300 juvenile humpback chub to Shinumo Creek. The second translocation will augment the humpback chub population in the creek and provide an opportunity for rearing humpback chub in a natural environment outside of the Little Colorado River. For more information, please contact Maureen Oltrogge, Public Affairs Officer, at 928-638-7779.

“Get Dirty After Dark”

(Pennsylvania) — Calling Young Friends of Valley Forge Park for an exclusive event! Come “get dirty after dark.” At Washington’s Headquarters on Thursday, June 24 from 6 to 8:30 p.m., you can learn about archeology from Temple University’s archeological field school leaders, try your hand at finding artifacts, and feast on a Pig Daddy’s Southern BBQ picnic. For more information, please contact Graham Dellinger at vfyoungfriends@gmail.com

Full Moon Hike

(New Mexico) — Have you ever wondered what gypsum dunes look like under the glow of the moon? Join a ranger for the June Full Moon Hike at White Sands National Monument and see the dunes in a whole new light. The hike is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Friday, June 25. Reservations are required and can only be made via www.nps.gov/whsa. Reservations will be accepted starting two weeks in advance of the scheduled hike, which is limited to 30 participants. Although the hike is free, entrance fees at the monument apply. For more information, please contact John Mangimeli at 505-679-2599 ext. 230.

Music by Moonlight

(New Mexico) — Cowboy singer/musician Skip Gorman and Celtic singer and poet Connie Dover will combine their down-deep, heartfelt interpretations of the traditional music of the American West, Ireland, and Scotland under the brilliant light of the full moon on Saturday, June 26 at 8:30 p.m.

Their performance is part of Full Moon Nights Summer 2010 at White Sands National Monument. Full Moon Nights are held in the monument’s amphitheater and are free, although the monument’s entrance fees of $3.00 per person 16 years and older apply. For more information, please contact John Mangimeli at 505-679-2599 ext. 230.

Lake Lucero Tour, 5 p.m., Saturday, June 26 (New Mexico) — Take a tour to Lake Lucero, part of White Sands National Monument, with a ranger and learn about the formation of the white sands.

These three-hour tours to the playa (dry lakebed) of Lake Lucero are offered once a month, and reservations are required. The tour fee is $3.00 per adult (16 years and older) and $1.50 for children and America the Beautiful Senior and Access pass holders. Please call 575-679-2599 ext. 236 for reservations. For more information, please contact John Mangimeli at

505-679-2599 ext. 230.

Ninth Annual Don Redman Jazz Heritage Concert and Awards (West Virginia) — Enjoy a free concert featuring Harold Mabern and Mickey Roker with the Howard Burns Quartet on June 26 at 6 p.m. The venue is Camp Hill at Mather Training Center, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. For more information, please contact Marsha Wassel at 304-535-6748 or Marsha_Wassel@nps.gov.

“A Revolutionary War-Era Panel Discussion”

(Pennsylvania) — Join George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin for “A Revolutionary War-Era Panel Discussion” on Saturday, June

26 at 7 p.m. This event, which closes the Friends of Valley Forge Park and Washington Memorial Chapel’s lecture series, will take place in the theater at Valley Forge National Historical Park. For more information, please contact Nancy Loane at nancyloane@comcast.net.

A Change in Climate that Touches Wyoming

(Wyoming) — Grand Teton National Park will host an informative program about global climate change on June 30 at 9 p.m. in the Colter Bay Amphitheater. National Weather Service Meteorologist Arthur Meunier will talk about large-scale changes in weather and describe how those global changes may affect the plants, animals, and other resources of Grand Teton National Park and Wyoming. Meunier will provide educational background and share interesting weather-related photos during a PowerPoint presentation.

For more information, please contact Jackie Skaggs at 307-739-3393 or Bobbie Visnovske at 307-739-3431.

Help for Communities from RTCA

(Nationwide) — Is someone in your community trying to protect local rivers, save an unspoiled landscape, or build trails to help others enjoy nature? Through the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program, the National Park Service provides staff who can guide communities in conserving waterways, preserving open space, and developing trails and greenways. Applications for the next round of technical assistance can be submitted until August 1. Potential applicants should discuss their project ideas with RTCA staff in their area before submitting an application.

Please visit www.nps.gov/rtca for complete information and the application.

For more information, please contact Elise Cleva at 202-208-6843 or Elise_M_Cleva@nps.gov.

“Grand Canyon’s Green Heart: The Unsung Legacy of Plants”

(Arizona) — Although better known for its grand vistas and geologic wonders than for its botanical riches, the Grand Canyon is home to more plants than any other national park and to nearly half of all the plants that grow in Arizona. Often beautiful, sometimes treacherous, plants transform sunlight into energy and thus serve as the basis for all animal life on Earth. A special exhibition opening at Kolb Studio in Grand Canyon National Park introduces the fascinating world of canyon plants and the botanists who have studied and protected them, and celebrates the art of botanical illustration. “Grand Canyon’s Green Heart: the Unsung Legacy of Plants” can be seen at Kolb Studio, July 2 through August 31. For more information, please contact Vegetation Program Manager Lori Makarick at 928-638-7455.

Fourth-Grade Quilts Tour National Parks of Kansas

(Kansas) — National Park Service rangers and local quilting guilds helped fourth-grade students learn how stories are told through quilts. The five national parks in Kansas, local elementary schools, and quilting guilds within each park community collaborated on the project “Building Common Ground Through the Quilts of Many Hands,” which is funded by a National Park Foundation grant. After visiting their local park, students composed essays describing quilt blocks that they would make and the stories, relating to the school’s local park, that the blocks represent. Each student then designed and produced a 12-inch quilt block with the assistance of local quilt guilds and park rangers. Once the blocks were complete, the guilds helped the students complete the quilts. From May 28 through August 4, the quilts will go on tour and be displayed at each of the five National Park Service sites in Kansas. Visitors can vote on their favorite quilt. All participating students will receive prizes; however, the quilt receiving the most votes will be awarded a grand prize and honored with a formal presentation at the winning school in September. The schedule for the quilt tour follows.

Fort Larned National Historic Site: May 28 through June 9 Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve: June 11 through 23

Fort Scott National Historic Site June 25 through July 7

Brown v. Board of Education NHS: July 9 through 21

Nicodemus National Historic Site: July 23 through August 4

For more information, please contact Mark Weaver at 785-839-4321.

Manzanar Launches Virtual Museum of Artifacts and Archives

(California) — The National Park Service (NPS) has launched a “virtual museum” highlighting more than 200 items from Manzanar National Historic Site’s collection. These items reflect Manzanar’s past: centuries of Owens Valley Paiute life; the ranching and farming era; the confinement of 11,070 Japanese Americans during World War II; later pilgrimages; and the eventual establishment of Manzanar National Historic Site. Most of the items featured online have never been seen by the public. In addition to artifacts, artwork, documents, and photos, the museum includes a virtual tour, oral history interview clips, photo slideshows, and “Teaching with Museum Collections” lesson plans. The virtual museum—the 41st to be created by the National Park Service—may be found at http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/exhibits/manz/index.html. To explore other NPS virtual museums, visit www.nps.gov/history/museum. For more information, please contact Alisa Lynch at 760-878-2194 ext. 2711.

Experts Prepare for Possible Threat to Cultural Resources on Gulf Coast

(Louisiana) — Representatives of the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) and colleagues from other branches of the National Park Service discussed how to respond to possible effects of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on cultural resources. Over 120 National Register properties, including 15 National Historic Landmarks, are located along the Gulf Coast from Texas to the Florida Keys. Areas of concern include porous masonry materials and shipwrecks. The NCPTT’s Kirk Cordell and Mary Striegel worked with representatives of the National Capital Region of the Park Service and the University of Texas, Austin, to draft advice for mitigating oil damage to Fort Massachusetts. For more information, please contact Mary F. Striegel, Chief of Materials Research, at 318-356-7444 or mary_striegel@nps.gov.

See What’s “Now in Bloom” in Yosemite

(California) — Follow a new Yosemite National Park feature called “Now in Bloom,” which offers a weekly bloom list. Learn more about Yosemite wildflower walks at http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/wildflower-walks.htm and common wildflower species at http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/common-wildflowers.htm. See the “Now in Bloom” webpage, http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/bloom.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

International Visitors to Yosemite: 1 in 4

(California) — The 2009 Visitor Use Survey found that international visitors came to Yosemite National Park from 33 countries and comprised about 25% of total visitation. In other words, visitors from other countries accounted for about 1 million of the park’s nearly 4 million visitors. Of the international visitors, 14% were from the United Kingdom, 13% from Germany, 11% from France, and 11% from Belgium. Eighty-eight percent defined their race as white; 11% as Asian; one percent as black; and one percent as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Please see http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/visitor-use.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Sierra Nevada: Impacts of Fire Management on Carbon Stocks

(California) — Two Sierra Nevada national parks plan to assess the impacts of fire management on carbon stocks. Yosemite National Park and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, through collaborations with the U.S.

Geological Survey, the Western Ecological Research Center, and university partners, have initiated research to quantify and understand both the

short- and long-term effects of fire on forest carbon stocks. The 2010 climate-related project aims to gather quantitative data on the amount and resiliency of carbon in places where pre-settlement fire regimes have been restored versus areas where they have not yet been restored, and to create project-scale maps of park carbon stocks, including maps of areas at risk from fire. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

If These Stones Could Speak, They’d Say, “Thank You!”

(Louisiana) — The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training

(NCPTT) is developing and testing new polymers for use in conserving stone.

NCPTT is also developing a nanotechnology-based stone conservation system that is quicker to place and more reliable than current treatments. For more information, please contact Mary F. Striegel, Chief of Materials Research, at 318-356-7444 or mary_striegel@nps.gov.

Stop Invasive Didymo from Spreading in Yosemite

(California) — Recreationists, including fishermen, can spread a freshwater alga called Didymo (Didymosphenia geminata) from one body of water to another in Yosemite National Park. Didymo results in massive blooms that carpet streambeds. Called “rock snot” due to its slimy appearance, this alga historically occurred in cool, low-nutrient waters in North America. Its ecological niche has recently expanded to include a wide range of water temperatures and nutrient levels. Didymo has been documented in several locations along the Tuolumne River, including locations in Yosemite National Park below the O’Shaughnessy Dam. The alga can produce thick mats that make swimming, fishing, and other water-based activities undesirable. Recreational equipment and clothing can become contaminated and encourage the spread of Didymo if not cleaned properly.

See

http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/upload/Didymo-fact-sheet-04-10.pdf

and http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/fish.htm%0b. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Yosemite to Study Sky-Island Flora

(California) — In 2010, 2011, and 2012, staff at Yosemite National Park will conduct a botanical inventory of the park’s sky-island floras. These specialized plant communities occupy dry, cold plateaus at the crest of the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite south to Sequoia-Kings Canyon. The plants are highly vulnerable to the drying and warming predicted by many climate forecast models. Data from this project will assist park managers in protecting resources. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Would you like to receive Parktips in your e-mail?

The National Park Service has created an e-mail mailing list called NPSNews. NPSNews subscribers receive, via e-mail, Parktips, as well as other timely, national-park-related news items. If you would like to receive NPSNews, just send an e-mail to majordomo@webmail.itc.nps.gov.

Write “subscribe npsnews” in the body of the message. You should receive a confirmation message shortly thereafter. Contact: NPS Communications Office, 202-208-6843.

For the latest news and press information from the National Park Service, visit www.nps.gov and select the “More News” link.

Related posts

• National Park Service Parktips – July 2010 (0)
• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)
• Parktips – April 2010 (0)
• Parktips – October 2009 (0)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 13, 2010

Contact: Gerry Gaumer (202) 208-6843

Kara Miyagishima (303) 969-2885

$3 million for WWII Japanese American Confinement Sites

National Park Service Grants Fund Preservation Efforts

Washington — The National Park Service (NPS) has awarded 23 grants totaling

$2.9 million to help preserve and interpret historic locations, where

Japanese Americans were detained during World War II.

In the program’s second year, the Japanese American Confinement Sites

Grants will help fund projects in a dozen states, including the restoration

of a historic railroad depot in Arkansas that will house an exhibit about

that state’s two confinement sites, and an educational outreach program to

engage youth in preserving confinement sites through art, conversation, and

community service.

“The Japanese American internment experience is an important chapter in

American history,” said NPS Director Jon Jarvis. “The National Park

Service is honored to be part of this shared effort to preserve these

sites, which are a tragic reminder of a shameful episode in our past, and a

compelling lesson on the fragility of our constitutional rights.”

The NPS grants range from $17,295 to re-establish the historic Honor Roll

at the Minidoka National Historic Site in Jerome County, ID (which

commemorates Japanese American servicemen from that camp) to $832,879 to

build the interior of the Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center in

Park County, WY. Also receiving grants are a project to develop plans to

rebuild a guard tower at the Granada Relocation Center (Amache) in

southeastern Colorado, the relocation and rehabilitation of a historic

barrack from the Colorado River Relocation Center (Poston) in Arizona, and

several oral history projects. Although the matching funds support

preservation and interpretation work in 12 states, some of the projects are

national in scope. These include a plan to create a reference and resource

website that will hold research materials and curricula on the history of

the camps.

Congress established the Japanese American Confinement Sites grant program

in 2006 to preserve and interpret

the places where Japanese Americans were sequestered after Japan attacked

Pearl Harbor. The law authorizes up

to $38 million in grants for the life of the program to identify, research,

evaluate, interpret, protect, restore, repair, and acquire historic

confinement sites. The program aims to teach and inspire present and future

generations about the injustice of the World War II confinement and

demonstrate the nation’s commitment since then to equal justice under the

law.

Congress appropriated $3 million for grants in the current fiscal year.

They were awarded in a competitive process, matching $2 in federal money

for every $1 in non-federal funds and “in-kind” contributions raised by

groups working to preserve the sites and their histories. Congress

appropriated $1 million for fiscal year 2009, the first year of the grants.

Locations eligible for the grants include the 10 War Relocation Authority

camps that were set up in 1942 in seven states: Gila River and Poston, AZ;

Amache, CO; Heart Mountain, WY; Jerome and Rohwer, AR; Manzanar and Tule

Lake, CA; Minidoka, ID, and Topaz, UT. Also eligible are more than 40 other

locations in 16 states, including civilian and military-run assembly,

relocation and isolation centers.

Following are brief descriptions of the funded projects. Those marked with

an asterisk (*) indicate that the applicant is from one state and the

project relates to a confinement site in another.

Arizona

*Under California, see Japanese American Citizens League, Pacific Southwest District project, Passing the Legacy Down: Youth Interpretations of Confinement Sites in the Western United States.

*Also under California, see Poston Community Alliance project, Poston Preservation Project—Barrack Relocation and Rehabilitation.

Arkansas

Arkansas State University

Jonesboro, AR

Rohwer Relocation Camp Interpretive Project Rohwer Relocation Center, Desha County, AR

$100,502

McGehee Industrial Foundation

McGehee, AR

Jerome-Rohwer Visitor & Interpretation Facility Rohwer Relocation Center, Desha County, AR Jerome Relocation Center, Chicot and Drew Counties, AR

$419,967

*Under Hawaii, see the University of Hawaii, Center for Oral History project, Unspoken Memories: Oral Histories of Hawaii Internees at Jerome, Arkansas.

California

Friends of Manzanar

Independence, CA

Oral History and Research for Enhanced Interpretation and Education at Manzanar Demonstration Block 14 Manzanar Relocation Center, Inyo County, CA

$58,833

Japanese American Citizens League, Pacific Southwest District Los Angeles, CA Passing the Legacy Down: Youth Interpretations of Confinement Sites in the Western United States Manzanar Relocation Center, Inyo County, CA Tule Lake Relocation Center (Tule Lake Segregation Center), Modoc County, CA Colorado River Relocation Center (Poston), La Paz County, AZ Minidoka Relocation Center, Jerome County, ID $151,790

Japanese American National Museum

Los Angeles, CA

Nisei Oral History Project

Multiple sites, counties and states

$42,573

Japanese American National Museum

Los Angeles, CA

Toward Justice for All: Exhibit Planning Multiple sites, counties and states

$75,713

Poston Community Alliance

Lafayette, CA

Poston Preservation Project—Barrack Relocation and Rehabilitation Colorado River Relocation Center (Poston), La Paz, County, AZ $31,000

*Under Oregon, see Klamath County Friends of the Library project, Breaking the Silence: The Power of Remembering, Oral Histories of Tule Lake Internees

Colorado

Colorado Preservation, Inc.

Denver, CO

Building Stock Research and Inventory Related to the Granada Relocation Center (Amache) Granada Relocation Center (Amache), Prowers County, CO

$20,093

Colorado Preservation, Inc.

Denver, CO

Water Tower Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Plan at Granada Relocation Center (Amache) Granada Relocation Center (Amache), Prowers County, CO

$37,327

National Trust for Historic Preservation Denver, CO Granada Relocation Center (Amache) Guard Tower Reconstruction Plan Granada Relocation Center (Amache), Prowers County, CO $34,980

District of Colombia

National Japanese American Memorial Foundation Washington, DC Recruitment and Training of Volunteer Docents for National Japanese American Memorial Foundation Multiple sites, counties and states

$38,909

Hawaii

Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii

Honolulu, HI

Hawai’i Confinement Sites Educational Documentary Honouliuli Internment Camp, Honolulu County, HI Sand Island Detention Camp, Honolulu County, HI Kilauea Military Camp, Hawai’i County, HI Kalaheo Stockade, Kauai County, HI Haiku Camp, Maui County, HI

$117,626

University of Hawaii, Center for Oral History Honolulu, HI Unspoken Memories: Oral Histories of Hawaii Internees at Jerome, Arkansas Jerome Relocation Center, Chicot and Drew Counties, AR $29,080

University of Hawaii, West O’ahu

Honolulu, HI

Multidisciplinary Research and Education at Honouliuli Internment Camp, Phase 2 Honouliuli Internment Camp, Honolulu County, HI $ 98,544

Idaho

Friends of Minidoka

Twin Falls, ID

Minidoka Honor Roll

Minidoka Relocation Center, Jerome County, ID

$17,295

*Under California, see Japanese American Citizens League, Pacific Southwest District project, Passing the Legacy Down: Youth Interpretations of Confinement Sites in the Western United States.

*Under Washington, see Wing Luke Memorial Foundation / Wing Luke Asian Museum project, First Person Stories Revealed: Historic Materials from Minidoka Preserved through the Higo Ten Cent Store.

Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Boston

Boston, MA

From Confinement to College: Video Oral Histories of Japanese American Students in World War II Multiple sites, counties and states

$68,852

Oregon

Klamath County Friends of the Library

Klamath Falls, OR

Breaking the Silence: The Power of Remembering, Oral Histories of Tule Lake Internees Tule Lake Relocation Center (Tule Lake Segregation Center), Modoc County, CA $55,000

Texas

Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, Inc.

Austin, TX

Japanese Confinement Sites in Texas: An Untold Cultural Legacy of World War II Kenedy Internment Camp, Karnes County, TX Seagoville Internment Camp, Dallas County, TX Fort Sam Houston Internment Camp, Bexar County, TX Fort Bliss Internment Camp, El Paso County, TX

$20,167

Washington

Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Bainbridge Island, WA Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Bainbridge Island/Eagledale Ferry Dock, Kitsap County, WA

$182,725

Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project Seattle, WA Japanese American Confinement: Reference and Resource Website Multiple sites, counties and states

$166,145

Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project Seattle, WA Stories Less Told Part II: Video Oral Histories of the Japanese American Incarceration Multiple sites, counties and states $210,000

Wing Luke Memorial Foundation / Wing Luke Asian Museum Seattle, WA First Person Stories Revealed: Historic Materials from Minidoka Preserved through the Higo Ten Cent Store Minidoka Relocation Center, Jerome County, ID $100,000

Wyoming

Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation

Powell, WY

Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center (Interior Build-Out) Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Park County, WY

$832,879

Related posts

• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• National Park Service Parktips – July 2010 (0)
• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• Parktips – October 2009 (0)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)

Biscayne BioBlitz Reveals National Park’s Rich Diversity After 24 straight hours of exploration and documentation, the Biscayne BioBlitz provided a snapshot of the many land and water species that live in Biscayne National Park. Led by more than 200 scientists from around the country, thousands of amateur explorers, families and schoolchildren from south Florida conducted an inventory of the plants, insects, fish and other creatures that inhabit one of the nation’s largest marine national parks.

The event, from noon Friday, April 30, to noon Saturday, May 1, was presented by National Geographic and the National Park Service, with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Highlights:

The initial species count as of 12:30 p.m. Saturday was more

than 800, with this number rising rapidly throughout the

afternoon. Over the next few months, organizers expect this

number to increase significantly as state-of-the-art testing of

the collected samples continues.

On-land observations of a number of species rare to the park

included the silver hairstreak butterfly, mangrove cuckoo,

bay-breasted warbler and nesting roseate spoonbills.

Underwater park divers were excited to observe black, red and

gag groupers on a night dive on the park’s reefs. In addition,

park scientists were delighted not to have seen any invasive

exotic lionfish during the BioBlitz inventory.

BioBlitz participants identified 11 species of lichen and 22

species of ants that had not previously been documented in the

park.

Internationally known tardigrade specialist William (Randy)

Miller, a biologist at Baker University, identified a phylum of

tardigrades — commonly known as water bears — not previously

found in the park.

Seven candidate champion trees — paradise tree, Bahama strong

bark, blolly, milk bark, Joe-wood, inkwood and pigeon plum —

were observed at the end of Totten Key. Scientists were excited

to see these unique trees survived Hurricane Andrew, which hit

the area in 1992.

More than 2,500 people of all ages participated in the program

during the 24-hour BioBlitz, including more than 1,300

registered school children from Miami-Dade County.

The Celebrate Biodiversity Festival that followed the BioBlitz

included several bands, talks, nature walks, live animal

demonstrations and other activities. The festival focused on

biodiversity and encouraging the public to do their part to

protect the environment. Many visitors graduated from

“Biodiversity University” by participating in an education

program throughout the festival.

The BioBlitz was part scientific endeavor, part festival and part outdoor classroom. Participants combed the park, observing and recording as many plant and animal species as possible in 24 hours. Activities included exploring the reefs and Elliott Key, catching insects, searching for hidden moss and lichen in shallow waters, seining fish and other aquatic organisms, and observing birds.

“This was a fantastic opportunity for the public to meet the scientists and understand what makes Biscayne National Park a special place,” said Mark Lewis, Biscayne National Park superintendent. “Sunny skies and temperate weather brought thousands of people out to help us learn more about the park.”

“I was thrilled by the connections made through the event,” said John Francis, National Geographic’s vice president for research, conservation and exploration. “Scientists joined students and people from the surrounding coastal communities and celebrated their unique roles as members of the natural systems where they live.”

Biscayne National Park was the fourth in a series of 10 annual BioBlitzes to be hosted by National Geographic and the National Park Service leading up to the Park Service’s centennial in 2016. During closing ceremonies Saturday at Convoy Point, the BioBlitz flag was passed to Darla Sidles, superintendent of Arizona’s Saguaro National Park, where the fifth BioBlitz will take place in 2011.

The first BioBlitz was held at Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., in 2007; Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in California was the BioBlitz site in 2008; and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was the site of the third BioBlitz in 2009.

-NPS-

NOTE: Images are available at

http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/bioblitz.

User name: press

Password: press

Related posts

• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• Parktips – February 2010 (3)
• Parktips – April 2010 (0)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)
• National Park Service Parktips – July 2010 (0)

Parktips is a monthly compilation of newsworthy items and story ideas from the National Park Service. A new edition is posted on the first week of each month at http://www.nps.gov/news/index.htm. Just click on the Story Leads link to access Parktips. You can view past issues of Parktips. You can also receive a personal copy of Parktips, via e-mail or fax, by registering at our website.

“Saga of the Acadians”

(Louisiana) — George Rodrigue pays tribute to his Cajun heritage in a special exhibition of paintings at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Internationally known for his “Blue Dog” series, Rodrigue, with “Saga of the Acadians,” tells the story of the Acadians from their exile from Nova Scotia to their settlement in Louisiana. The exhibition runs though April 24 and is free. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Dupree at 504-589-3882.

Doppelganger Poes

(Pennsylvania) — Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site celebrates National Poetry Month by hosting Doppelganger Poes on April 10, 2010, at 10 a.m. See what happens when a group of scholars accidentally summons two conflicting versions of Poe. Poe feels compelled to perform his best works while vying with himself for literary honors. This event will be held at the German Society of Philadelphia, located at 611 Spring Garden Street, across the street from Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site. For more information, please contact Jane Cowley at 215-597-0060.

Anniversaries at Independence

(Pennsylvania) — Independence National Historical Park is celebrating three anniversaries during April. Celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s 267th birthday by joining a park ranger at the Second Bank Portrait Gallery for a gallery tour on April 10 and 11 at 2:15 p.m. On April 15 at 2:15p.m., join a park ranger at the Second Bank Portrait Gallery to celebrate the life and artistry of Charles Willson Peale on his birthday. Commemorate the life and contributions of one of our most compelling Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, who died April 17, 1790. Join a park ranger on April 17 and 18 at

2 p.m. for the Franklin’s Legacy Walking Tour. The tour begins at the Underground Museum entrance. For more information, please contact Jane Cowley at 215-597-0060.

22nd Annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup

(Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia) — The National Park Services teams with the Alice Ferguson Foundation in the annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup, held on Saturday, April 10 from 9 a.m. to noon. Since 1989, over 50,000 volunteers have joined 375 partner organizations to tug over three million tons of trash from the watershed’s streams, rivers, and bays. The 2009 haul included over 290 tons of trash, with more than 27 tons of recyclables; 41,122 plastic bags; 2,095 tires; 17 bicycles; 16 shopping carts; 9 metal and plastic barrels; five TVs; and five refrigerators. Service projects, interpretive programs, and cleanups will take place in a number of parks in Greater Washington. People interested in volunteering should contact a park ranger at one of the participating parks. For more information, please contact Toni Braxton at 202-619-7174.

National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade

(Washington, D.C.) — Come out Saturday, April 10 from 10 a.m. to noon for a spectacular event for adults and children of all ages. Cherry Blossom queens from the United States and Japan will add royalty to the procession, which will include clowns, horses, antique cars, and mascots. This event, produced by the National Park Service and the National Cherry Blossom Festival, is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but grandstand seats will be available. Standing room along the parade route (Constitution Avenue between 9th and 15th streets, N.W.) is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Toni Braxton at 202-619-7174.

50th Annual Sakura Matsuri (Japanese Street Festival) (Washington, D.C.) — It’s fun, free, and family-friendly! There’s something for everyone. The Cherry Blossom Festival closes with the Sakura Matsuri, a large street festival featuring Japanese food; music; Sumo wrestling demonstrations; the making of silk; and the chance to learn about traditional kimono garments. The Sakura Matsuri is the largest Japanese street festival in the United States. Come out from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 10. Held on Pennsylvania Avenue between 10th and 14th streets, N.W. For more information, please contact Toni Braxton at 202-619-7174.

The Best Family Fun Fest EVER Crowns 10 Years of Event at Biscayne

(Florida) — Biscayne National Park’s Family Fun Fest began as a way to keep local audiences coming back to the park. The first event, run by two rangers and three volunteers, drew about 50 people. Family Fun Fest has grown to an event that draws nearly 1,000 each year and is staffed by over 20 volunteers, many of whom are former Family Fun Fest participants. Family Fun Fest takes place on the second Sunday of every month from December through April. The 50th Family Fun Fest (Sunday, April 11, 2010) will feature some of the best activities from the past 10 years, nominated and chosen by participants; hence the title of the event, The Best Family Fun Fest EVER! The event is free and takes place at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center from 1 to 4 p.m. Stations located around the visitor center will provide a variety of interactive learning opportunities, including Food Factor (2006), a look at the stomach-turning—well, human-stomach-turning—diets of some animals; Paddle Puzzle (2008), an activity that uses canoes to track down clues to answer a question about mangroves; Meet the Beetles! (2009), an introduction to dung beetles; and Breaking News! (2005), a crazy newscast that teaches viewers what NOT to do when a hurricane’s coming. For more information, please contact Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144 ext. 007.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

(Washington, D.C.) — Well, happy birthday Mr. Former President. A military color guard will observe Thomas Jefferson’s 267th birthday at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 13 at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Patriotic wreath tributes followed by the sounding of Taps will conclude the program. For more information, please call 202-619-7222.

Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site

(Washington, D.C.) — At 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14, James Swanson, author of Manhunt, will read and will lead a discussion about the events that took place at the Petersen Boarding House, across the street from Ford’s Theatre, after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln died in the Petersen House. The events discussed will be part of Mr. Swanson’s upcoming novel. For more information, please contact Kym Elder at 202-426-6924.

The British in Valley Forge

(Pennsylvania) — The Friends of Valley Forge Speaker Series at the Chapel will host researcher Tom McGuire on Thursday, April 15, 2010, at 7 p.m. in the Bishop White Library of the Washington Memorial Chapel on Rt. 23 in Valley Forge National Historical Park. Mr. McGuire will present A Rare

Story: The British Occupation of Valley Forge September 18-23, 1777. This talk focuses on the little-known British occupation of the Valley Forge area in September 1777. Using watercolors and a journal from a young British officer unearthed during a research trip to England, McGuire will discuss the action-filled events that occurred just after the Battle of Brandywine and before the Battle of Germantown. For more information, please contact Nancy Loane at nancyloane@comcast.net.

Reflections of the 60s at LBJ Ranch

(Texas) — Come and remember the 1960s at the historic LBJ Ranch. On April 16, starting at 9 a.m., authors, educators, and period experts will gather in Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park for lectures and book signings focusing on LBJ’s legacy and the significance of the 1960s.

Visitors will gather near the Texas White House to hear speakers on topics such as civil rights, Vietnam, and the impact of President Lyndon B.

Johnson on the 1960s and the world. Speakers include Tom Striegler, a U.S.

Army artillery officer in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968; Allen Clark, Vietnam veteran and author of Wounded Soldier, Healing Warrior; and Wilhelmina Delco, the first African American Texas State Representative for District Fifty. Books will be available through Western National Parks Association at the signing. The event will include 1960s cars and music and will continue into the evening with an outdoor screening of Forrest Gump under the stars. For more information, please contact Sherry Justus at

830-868-7128 ext. 245.

Revolutionary Times Weekend in Greater Morristown Area (New Jersey) — On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 16 to 18, 2010, various historic and cultural sites in the greater Morristown vicinity will present a weekend of programs related to the American Revolution. The schedule includes a military encampment at Jockey Hollow, a naturalization ceremony at Washington’s Headquarters Museum, the arrival of General Washington on the Morristown Green, an Alexander Hamilton symposium, and activities for children. For more information, please contact Randy Turner at 973-539-2016 ext. 200.

First Annual Santa Monica Mountains Science Festival

(California) — On April 16 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and April 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the National Park Service will host a night and a day of family fun at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is holding its first annual science festival.

Experiment with radio-telemetry and learn how to track mountain lions and bobcats; visit the black light station and discover which bugs come out at night; take a hike through rolling hills and identify wildflowers. The event website is http://www.nps.gov/samo/sciencefestival.htm. For more information, please contact Lauren Newman at 805-370-2343 or lauren_newman@nps.gov.

National Park Week

(Nationwide) — All 392 national parks will have free admission during National Park Week, April 17 to 25. Also during this annual celebration, parks will feature family-friendly activities and special offers on tours, lodging, food, and souvenirs. For example, Mammoth Cave National Park will offer free Mammoth Passage cave tours throughout the week. The tours follow a route along Houchins Narrows, the Rotunda, the nitre mining artifacts, Audubon Avenue, and Rafinesque Hall—some of the mammoth passages for which the cave was named. Also at Mammoth Cave, April 17 is designated as Wildflower Day. Please see www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/maca_events.htm

for a full listing of scheduled activities, such as nature walks, birding hikes, a family scavenger hunt, an art workshop, and other ranger programs.

Mammoth Cave Hotel will offer a 10 percent discount on all regularly priced gift shop merchandise during National Park Week. * At Minute Man National Historical Park, National Park Week culminates with Junior Ranger Day and Battle Road Heroes on Saturday, April 24. * Starting at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 18, 2010, a five-mile run, a three-mile walk, and a one-mile youth fun run begin the celebration of National Park Week at Valley Forge National Historical Park. A listing of parks and National Park Week promotions is available at www.nps.gov/npweek. For more information, please contact Elise Cleva at 202-208-6843 or Elise_M_Cleva@nps.gov.

Operation Clean Sweep! Volunteer Day

(Virginia) — Q: How do you clean 150 historic cabins in one day? A: With a whole lot of help. Come out to Prince William Forest Park on April 17 from

9 a.m. to noon. Join park staff and fellow volunteers in an attempt to clean all 150 of the park’s historic cabins in one day to get them open for the summer season. Dress to be messed. The park will provide all safety equipment (gloves, dust masks, etc.). For more information, please contact Jenn Kays at 703-221-7181 or Jenn_kays@nps.gov.

Patriot’s Day at Minute Man National Historical Park

(Massachusetts) — Each year in mid-April, thousands of people flock to historic Lexington and Concord and Minute Man National Historical Park to celebrate Patriot’s Day. Patriot’s Day is a special Massachusetts state holiday commemorating the opening battle of the American Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775. The holiday (officially observed on Monday, April 19) and the entire weekend is celebrated with parades, reenactments, and commemorative ceremonies. The Battle Road event, with hundreds of Colonial militiamen and Minute Men and British Redcoats, is on Saturday, April 17 and forms the biggest day of commemorations within Minute Man National Historical Park. For more information, please contact Lou Sideris at

978-318-7833 or lou_sideris@nps.gov.

Wildflower Walk at the Natchez Trace Parkway

(Mississippi) — Join a park ranger on Sunday, April 18 at 2 p.m. at the Chickasaw Village Site (milepost 261.8 on the Natchez Trace Parkway near Tupelo, Mississippi) for a wildflower walk. This one-hour program will take participants through both prairie and forest ecosystems and will include wildflower identification and ecology. This program is free to the public.

For more information, please contact Amy Genke at 662-680-4053 or amy_genke@nps.gov.

Reenactment of Paul Revere’s Row

(Massachusetts) — Boston National Historical Park will sponsor a dramatic recreation of Paul Revere’s historic row across Boston Harbor to Charlestown, where he began his famous midnight ride 235 years ago. The event will coincide with the annual Old North Church lantern service festivities on Sunday, April 18, 2010, and take place during National Park Week. Join the family-friendly festivities at the Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center in Building 5 of the Charlestown Navy Yard. The event begins at 7 p.m. with original dramatic performances and fife and drum music provided by costumed players. There will also be a lively reading of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Paul Revere’s Ride,” written 150 years ago.

The event is free, open to the public, and handicapped accessible. For more information, please contact Sean Hennessey at 617-242-5616.

50 States, 50 Parks

(Arizona) — Come to the Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park at 7 p.m. on April 22. In celebration of National Park Week, we’ll take you on a whirlwind journey through all 50 states to visit a unit of the National Park System in each—except one. Join Park Guide Jeff Wallner to learn which state doesn’t have a park system area (yet) and to explore both world-famous and lesser-known sites all around the United States. For more information, please contact Melanie Florez at 520-733-5151.

Commemoration of the 1797 British Attack (Puerto Rico) — San Juan National Historic Site will host the second annual commemoration of the 1797 British attack—the British Empire’s third and final attack on San Juan, launched on April 17, 1797. More than 7,000 troops were repelled by a meager force composed of Spanish soldiers, members of the Puerto Rican Fixed Regiment, local militiamen, and citizens.

The commemoration will take place from April 23 to 25, 2010, in and on the grounds of Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal. Living history volunteers dressed as members of 18th-century Spanish, French, and German military units, along with local volunteers from Puerto Rico and San Juan NHS will participate. Activities will include military drills, firing demonstrations, and educational programs. An 18th-century military encampment will be featured. For more information, please contact Dilcia González at 787-729-677 ext. 239 or dilcia_gonzalez@nps.gov.

Paws in the Park

(Virginia) — Celebrate responsible dog ownership in the great outdoors with Paws in the Park at Prince William Forest Park on April 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dog exhibitors of all types, military and working dog demonstrations, and a ‘faux’ dog show will bring together dog lovers and nature lovers. For more information, please call 703-221-7181 or e-mail Stephanie Pooler at Stephanie_Pooler@nps.gov.

Spring Planting Festival

(Tennessee) — The Spring Planting Festival (April 24, 9 to 4 EDT) at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in Oneida celebrates spring and provides an opportunity to see a bit of our ancestors’ way of living.

Demonstrations will be provided of old-time skills, including quilting, flint knapping, woodcarving, chair caning, soap making, basket weaving, hand spinning (of yarn), chicken scratch embroidery, blacksmithing, plowing with mule and horse teams, planting sorghum seed, and making fence palings.

Displays allow visitors to learn about herbs and their uses and antique tractors and farm equipment. Historic photographs of people who once lived in Big South Fork will be shown. For more information, please contact Howard Duncan at 423-569-2404 ext. 260.

National Junior Ranger Day

(Nationwide) — The National Park Service runs its Junior Ranger program for young visitors. National Junior Ranger Day is Saturday, April 24.

Contact a park of interest to you to find out what it has planned for the day. A sample of planned activities follows. * Kids can dig in the dirt at Yosemite National Park as “Habitat Protectors of Yosemite” from 2 to 4 p.m.

* In Acadia National Park from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., hands-on activities will guide exploration of animals, plants, and history for children age 12 and under as they discover how to protect the park. * Catoctin Mountain Park in Thurmont, Maryland, will hold a demonstration of fly casting from

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Children ages six to 11 are invited to join a ranger at the park’s visitor center for an introduction to fly-fishing. * In Saguaro National Park’s Rincon Mountain District, kids can earn a Saguaro Junior Ranger badge and special patches in recognition of National Junior Ranger Day when they learn about the challenge of the Earth’s changing climate in national parks. Participants will watch films, play games, and join in other activities. * If you would like to be put in touch with someone who can provide information about the activities above or if you would like more information about National Junior Ranger Day around the country or in a particular park, please contact Elise Cleva at 202-208-6843 or Elise_M_Cleva@nps.gov.

Yosemite Fire Symposium on April 27-28

(California) — Yosemite National Park’s third biennial Fire Science Symposium will pass the results of recent research on to park staff, land managers throughout the Sierra Nevada, and interested stakeholders. The symposium takes as its theme adaptive management—understanding that strategies can change to include better fire information. Space is limited for this free event at the Ahwahnee in Yosemite Valley. To register, please send your name and organization affiliation to leland_tarnay@nps.gov or call 209-379-1422. Please see http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/firemanagement.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Celebrate Wildlife at Grand Canyon National Park on May 1

(Arizona) — Join Grand Canyon rangers and wildlife biologists for a fun and educational celebration of the park’s wildlife. Special programs, interactive exhibits, educational demonstrations, and live animals from the Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center of Phoenix, Arizona, will be highlights of this day-long event. This year’s special evening program will be “Condor Recovery at Grand Canyon,” presented by Chris Parish of the Peregrine Fund.

For more information, please contact Shannan Marcak at 928-638-7958 or visit http://www.nps.gov/grca/naturescience/wildlife-day.htm.

Manzanar NHS Recruiting Youth Conservation Corps Members

(California) — Manzanar National Historic Site will sponsor an eight-week Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program this summer. The YCC team will work at Manzanar National Historic Site under the supervision of National Park Service staff. The four-person YCC team will focus on the preservation of resources associated with the Native American occupation of the site, the Manzanar orchard community, and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. In addition, the crew will have opportunities to visit other historically significant areas in the Owens Valley and will gain a more complete understanding of the history of the valley. Youths ages 15 to 18 are encouraged to apply, provided that they do not reach their 19th birthdays before August 13, 2010.

Application forms are available at Manzanar National Historic Site Interpretive Center. The completed application must be postmarked no later than May 3, 2010. For more information, please contact Anne Ashe at

760-878-2194 ext. 2702.

Fish Removal to Help Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frog

(California) — Scientists removed fish from nine alpine lakes in Yosemite National Park in summer 2009 to assist the declining Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae). Because of the frog’s 95% population decline, it is listed as a candidate species under the federal Endangered Species Act. The experimental project begun last year aims to restore habitat by removing non-native fish from a handful of remote sites. Fish removal has focused on lakes in four areas. Only two are thought still to contain fish and will be the focus of a 2010 field effort. Please see http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/frog.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

New Website from Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area (New York) — The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area has launched an interactive website. The website includes the exciting new partnership with National Geographic, The Hudson: The River that Defined America, and features interactive maps, image galleries, videos and educational resources, and a renewed guide to sites throughout the Hudson River Valley.

Please visit the website at www.hudsonrivervalley.com.

Would you like to receive Parktips in your e-mail?

The National Park Service has created an e-mail mailing list called NPSNews. NPSNews subscribers receive, via e-mail, Parktips, as well as other timely, national-park-related news items. If you would like to receive NPSNews, just send an e-mail to majordomo@webmail.itc.nps.gov.

Write “subscribe npsnews” in the body of the message. You should receive a confirmation message shortly thereafter. Contact: NPS Communications Office, 202-208-6843.

For the latest news and press information from the National Park Service, visit www.nps.gov and select the “More News” link

Related posts

• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• National Park Service Parktips – July 2010 (0)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)
• Parktips – November 2009 (0)
• Parktips – January 2010 (2)