Who: The Unified Area Command in New Orleans, represented by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other key federal, state and private partners.

What: Accredited media are invited to cover the excavation of Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle eggs from a nest on the Gulf Coast of Florida for transport and later release. Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles are an endangered species, and this is the first nest to be relocated from Gulf Islands National Seashore.

There will be opportunities for interviews with biologists supervising the relocation, volunteers from the group “Turtle Patrollers,” and other key leaders in this effort to save these and other Gulf Coast sea turtles from the impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

Where: Fort Pickens Area of Gulf Islands National Seashore, located near Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island.

When: Friday, July 23, 5 p.m. CDT. Nest excavation at 6 p.m. Expect extraction to be 1 hour. Reservations are required by calling (251) 233-6834. Shuttle will be provided to the press conference.

Participants:

Jonathan B. Jarvis, Director, National Park Service

Nina Kelson, Deputy Superintendent, Gulf Islands National Seashore

For information about the response effort, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.

-NPS-

Related posts

• The Five South Florida National Parks Remain Open Monitoring of Resource Protection and Visitor Safety Issues Continues (1)
• SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK TO HOST BIOBLITZ 2011 (0)
• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• Parktips – February 2010 (3)

From Alachua County Today, proof positive that alcohol and alligators do not mix:

As if getting bitten once wasn’t enough, the man, who officials said appeared to be intoxicated, reached into the bushes to grab the gator again, and it obliged him by biting him, again.

The gator was trying to get to some water when Dirk Alan Willms, 44, (DOB 08/13/65), of 501 Lemon St., Sanford, decided to catch it.

Eventually, Willms subdued the 45-inch alligator and took it to his house. Someone who saw him with the alligator reported it to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, which then called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

FWC Law Enforcement Officer Naomii Tye responded to the call, issued Willms a ticket for possessing an alligator, a second-degree misdemeanor, and then released the small reptile in nearby Lake Jesup. The maximum penalty for a second-degree misdemeanor is 60 days in jail and $500 fine.

Continue reading “Herp Report: Darwin may be calling”

Related posts

• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• Parktips – February 2010 (3)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)
• National Park Service Parktips – July 2010 (0)
• WILD TURKEY HUNTING SEMINARS (1)

There’s some debate over which is more dangerous – letting the hatchlings go out into the Gulf and face the oil or make a risky move to the east coast. But Wargo agrees that this process is the lesser of two evils. “Obviously, it’s a last resort thing and considered the least risky of all the options, but it’s still risky,” explained Wargo.

Related posts

• Turtles on the move (0)
• Herp Report: Reptiles in the Gulf (0)
• Herp Report: Reptiles in the Gulf (0)
• Gulf spill, day 85 (0)
• Gulf oil spill temporarily stopped, turtle eggs hatch (0)

The first sea turtle hatchlings whose eggs were evacuated from the Gulf Coast oil spill to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center have been released into the Atlantic Ocean.

Check out their video below:

Related posts

• Parktips – November 2009 (0)
• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• Parktips – April 2010 (0)
• National Park Service Parktips – July 2010 (0)
• Herp Report: Reptiles in the Gulf (0)

From the Herald Tribune:

Under the practiced knife of Dr. Brian Stacy, a veterinary pathologist, the specimen began to reveal its secrets: First, as the breastplate was lifted away, a mass of shriveled organs in the puddle of stinky red liquid that is produced as decomposition advances. Next, the fat reserves indicating good health. Then, as Stacy sliced open the esophagus, the most revealing clue: a morsel of shrimp, the last thing the turtle ate.

“You don’t see shrimp consumed as part of the normal diet” of Kemp’s ridleys, Stacy said.

Reports of Kemp’s babies being released are a bright note in this all. We can only hope that the upcoming storm season does not effect their ability to survive.

The first sea turtle hatchlings whose eggs were moved from parts of the Gulf Coast threatened by the oil spill to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida have been released into the Atlantic Ocean. Jane Provancha, a biologist working on the turtle rescue, told The Associated Press that the newborn Kemp’s ridley sea turtles did well after their release.

Read the full article on the The New York Times website.

Related posts

• Parktips – October 2009 (0)
• Parktips – June 2010 (0)
• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• First Lady Michelle Obama Asks Junior Rangers to Take It Outside at Our National Parks (0)
• Christmas Tree Worms, Guns, & More Parktips May 2010 (0)

Biologist Lorna Patrick dug gingerly into the beach Friday, gently brushing away sand to reveal dozens of leathery, golfball-sized loggerhead sea turtle eggs.

Patrick, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, carefully plucked the eggs from the foot-deep hole and placed them one-by-one in a cooler layered with moist sand from the nest, the first step in a sweeping and unprecedented turtle egg evacuation to save thousands of threatened hatchlings from certain death in the oiled Gulf of Mexico.

After about 90 minutes of parting the sand with her fingers like an archaeological dig, 107 eggs were placed in two coolers and loaded onto a FedEx temperature-controlled truck. They are being transported to a warehouse at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center where they will incubate and, hopefully, hatch before being released into the Atlantic Ocean.

Article continues here.

Related posts

• Young scholars help National Park Service tackle climate change (0)
• To release or not to release. That is the question. (0)
• The Five South Florida National Parks Remain Open Monitoring of Resource Protection and Visitor Safety Issues Continues (1)
• SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK TO HOST BIOBLITZ 2011 (0)
• Pet iguanas in Palm Beach County regulations to be voted on (0)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 9, 2010

Contact: David Barna (202) 208-6843

$1.2 Million Awarded to Preserve Battlefields

National Park Service announces 25 grants

WASHINGTON – More than $1.2 million in National Park Service grants will be used to help preserve and protect America’s significant battlefield lands.

The funding from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) will support projects at more than 100 battlefields nationwide.

“These grants will help safeguard and preserve American battlefield lands,”

said Jonathan B. Jarvis, Director of the National Park Service. “These lands are symbols of individual sacrifice and national heritage that we must protect so that this and future generations can walk these places and understand the struggles that define us as a nation.”

The grants fund projects at endangered battlefields from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War, World War II, and Indian Wars. Grants were made to projects in 17 states and territories to support archeology, mapping, cultural resource survey work, documentation, planning, education, and interpretation.

Projects include underwater archeology at the Battle of the Atlantic during WWII in North Carolina; documentation of the Second Seminole War Fort Defiance and Fort Micanopy in Florida; a statewide comprehensive GIS database of Civil War sites that will include 38 battlefields in Tennessee; a preservation plan for the U.S. Dakota War of 1862 Woodlake Battlefield in Minnesota; and development of a new battlefield preservation, and planning website in Virginia for the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District.

Priority was given to the preservation of nationally significant battlefields. The majority of grants were given to battlefields listed as Priority I or II sites in the National Park Service’s Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields and the Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States.

Federal, state, local, and Tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions are eligible for the battlefield grants which are awarded annually. Since 1996 more than $12 million has been awarded by ABPP to help preserve significant historic battlefields associated with wars on American soil. More information is available online at http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp. Brief descriptions of funded grant projects follow.

Year 2010 Grants

Arkansas State Parks, Department of Parks and Tourism $82,000

The Civil War Battle of Prairie Grove (1862) was the last time two armies of equal strength fought for control over northwest Arkansas. With archeological investigation and GIS mapping, this project will delineate the locations and extent of major battlefield features within Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park.

Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center (Connecticut) $19,000 The Battle of Saybrook Fort consisted of more than a dozen discrete battles, ambushes, and actions that are a part of the Pequot War (1636-1637). This project will identify areas for future archeological testing, revise maps of Study and Core Areas, develop a preservation advocacy partnership, and educate the public about this important event in American history.

Gulf Archeology Research Institute (Florida) $49,500

The opening battles of the Second Seminole War occurred in and around the town of Micanopy. This project will identify and document the nature and extent of Fort Defiance and Fort Micanopy through field archeology, archival research, and data analysis.

LAMAR Institute (Georgia) $40,000

In December of 1864, the Confederacy suffered a devastating loss at the Battle of Monteith Swamp. Union troops broke through the Confederate defenses and took Savannah. This project will conduct archeology fieldwork to identify and document the battlefield as well as foster public outreach.

Ball State University (Indiana) $70,000

The Battle on the Wabash (1791) and the Battle of Fort Recovery (1794), which occurred in Ohio, represent the largest engagement of the American Army and Native American forces in the history of the United States. Little is known about these battles. The site identification and documentation plan will define the battlefield boundaries – a first step toward diminishing the threat of private development and looting at these battlefields.

Madison County (Kentucky) $35,000

The Battle of Richmond is the second largest Civil War site in Kentucky and is one of three major battles that are part of the “Confederate heartland offensive” within Kentucky. A preservation plan will address the needs of local government and will suggest ways to partner with the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD), as well as other organizations, agencies, and the community, to develop ways to protect threatened battlefield land.

Tebbs Bend Battlefield Association (Kentucky) $35,000

The Civil War Battle of Tebbs Bend was the first major engagement of Confederate General John Morgan’s Great Raid, a push into the northern Midwestern states intended to capture supplies and erode support for the Union war effort. Building on the work of a previous ABPP grant, an archeology survey will be developed for the Tebbs Bend Battlefield.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana $41,000

During the Red River Campaign of 1864, a fierce engagement occurred between Admiral David Dixon Porter’s fleet, the Confederate land batteries, and several hundred sharpshooters on Deloach’s Bluff Battlefield. This project will identify the location of subsurface resources and the extent of the historic battlefield through a cultural resource survey, GIS/GPS fieldwork, remote sensing, and minimal archeology testing.

Wood Lake Battlefield Preservation Association (Minnesota) $47,000

Wood Lake was the final major battle of the U.S. Dakota War of 1862.

Preoccupied with the Civil War, the U.S. Government violated treaties with Minnesota’s Dakota Indians, leading to hardships for these tribes. Building on the work of a previous ABPP grant, a comprehensive preservation plan will be developed for the Wood Lake Battlefield.

Frontier Heritage Alliance (Montana) $68,800

The final battles of the Sioux Indian Wars were against the Northern Pacific Railroad survey expedition on the Yellowstone River in 1873. This project will indentify and document the Stanley-Custer Battles with Sioux Warriors, produce a historical report and a National Register nomination, and educate land owners about the historic significance of their properties.

Natural Heritage Trust (New York) $75,000

British General Burgoyne surrendered his sword to Colonial General Gates during the end of Battles of Saratoga on October 17, 1777. As a defining military engagement during the Revolutionary War, the sword surrender proved to the French Government that Colonial forces were capable of winning the war. This led the French to ally with the Americans. The project will produce a cultural landscape treatment plan and site development plan for the preservation and interpretation of the Sword Surrender site.

Research Foundation of State University of New York at Binghamton

$50,723

The Revolutionary War Battle of Newtown was among the Continental Army’s most significant battles during the Sullivan and Clinton Campaign against British allied Iroquois in the New York frontier. This project will conduct an archeological field survey to identify material remains associated with the Battle of Newtown to better define the integrity and the battlefield’s main defining features. Findings will be used to formulate a preservation plan for the battlefield.

East Carolina University, Maritime Studies (North Carolina) $80,000

Following America’s entry into WWII, a protracted naval conflict was waged between German and Allied naval vessels along the U.S. eastern seaboard during the Battle of the Atlantic. This project will conduct an archeological inventory of the submerged cultural resources from naval conflicts to supplement current historical records.

Rutherford County (North Carolina) $40,000

Between 1776 and 1783, Gilbert Town was a staging ground and campsite for various British and Patriot commands. It played an important role in several Revolutionary War campaigns in the Carolinas. This project will complete an archeological survey of key properties that will most likely be impacted by development at the Gilbert Town Battlefield site. In addition, a long-term archeological plan for the site will be produced.

County of Chester (Pennsylvania) $40,000

The Battle of Paoli was George Washington’s third and final attempt to prevent the British from taking the colonial capital city during Howe’s Philadelphia Campaign of 1777. This project will identify and inventory threatened parcels at the Paoli Battlefield. The project findings will be used to update the county’s historic atlas and create a predictive model for preservation by using GIS technology.

Coastal Carolina University, Center for Historical Studies (South Carolina)

$60,000

Horry and Georgetown Counties contain Revolutionary War and Civil War battlefield sites that will be identified and documented through this project. The findings of this project will be used to increase the awareness of battlefield sites in these two counties for future preservation planning efforts.

South Carolina Research Foundation $64,200

In 1865, the Union Army, led by General William T. Sherman, began a campaign to subdue South Carolina. Sherman’s army marched across the state fighting battles and skirmishes, disrupting rail traffic, and destroying property. This project will identify and document multiple battlefields, skirmish sites, and camps associated with this campaign to provide the South Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial Advisory Board with baseline data for preservation.

Friends of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (Tennessee) $32,100 In 1863, the Federal Army ended Confederate control of Chattanooga, a vital transportation hub, after several key battles during the Campaign for Chattanooga. Building on the work of a GIS database developed with funding from a previous ABPP grant, this project will work toward preservation advocacy and consensus building among local planners, landowners, developers, and other stakeholders within the Chattanooga Battlefield boundaries.

Tennessee State Library and Archives $40,750

This statewide project will take a comprehensive GIS database of 38 Civil War sites and make it available online for federal, state, and local planning agencies and preservation organizations. The geospatial database with economic and demographic overlays will be accessible to the public on the web through the Tennessee GIS server. Greater access to historical information should lead to increased public interest.

University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College $26,000 The Siege of Fort Brown during the U.S.-Mexican War highlighted traditional siege tactics and earthwork construction techniques, and featured numerous men who would assume important military leadership roles in subsequent battles in American history. This project will produce a cultural landscape inventory that will include GIS mapping, a historical overview, military terrain analysis, and an analysis of present conditions on the site.

St. Thomas Historical Trust (U.S. Virgin Islands) $44,500

In 1801, Fort Frederik participated in a battle with two British ships – the only well documented battle with an enemy force on St. Thomas, U.S.

Virgin Islands. This project will conduct an engineering study for the stabilization of ruins at Fort Frederik as it is threatened by frequent hurricanes and other natural forces. There will be documentation of Fort Frederik, the battle, and the ships, as well as an underwater survey of the adjacent seabed.

City of Burlington, Community and Economic Development Office (Vermont) $45,000 During Burlington’s engagement, the British were repelled and Thomas McDonough’s Fleet moored below the Burlington Battery. This project will delineate Burlington’s War of 1812 resources and develop an archeological management plan for Burlington Battlefield. Field techniques of archeology and GIS mapping were used during the completion of a previous ABPP grant project. This plan will assist the community to preserve and protect the battle remains discovered by that work.

Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation (Virginia) $61,500

This project will create a new battlefield preservation and planning website for the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District and Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation in preparation for the Civil War Sesquicentennial. The website will build awareness and support for the preservation of 15 battlefields in the Shenandoah Valley and will include a mapping application.

Shenandoah Valley Network (Virginia) $21,500

The goal of this advocacy project is to secure improved local zoning and planning in two Shenandoah Valley counties. This effort will preserve the rural character, agricultural base, and natural and historic resources on which the future of six nationally-significant Civil War battlefields depend. The project will include public outreach, GIS mapping depicting the impacts of proposed local ordinances, and technical support for preservation programs.

Stafford County (Virginia) $77,700

The Battle of Aquia Creek was one of the first naval engagements in the Civil War. Union vessels and Confederate batteries exchanged roughly 1,000 rounds over Aquia Landing, which was a pivotal gateway between the capital cities of Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, DC. This project will conduct an archeological survey that will include underwater archeology, and will produce a National Register nomination application.

Total $1,246,273

Related posts

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

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)