From theColumbus Dispatch:

Koppenhofer, who with his wife, Susan, owns Special K Reptiles, has had to rely on his hobby to make ends meet for the past six months after losing his job at an insurance company.

Reptile business owners wouldn’t be the only ones hurt, he said.

Companies selling heat lamps, aquariums and rodents used for food also would face an immediate drop in revenue.

“If this forces me out of business, I’ll move out of the state,” said Koppenhofer, 57, of Madison. “I would stay close because I have family here.”

Particularly disturbing to herpers are the comments posted on the article. As a community, we really need to start working harder on education and outreach to the general public. Perceptions of our community must be overcome.

You see people that can’t even feed their kids buying snakes etc. But they also buy beer and cigarettes and haven’t got a decent place to live in. The guy in Pike County that had teh two lions taht got out lives in a single wide falling down trailer and gets welfare and ssi.
There is not reason to own these “exotics” go to the zoo once or twice a year to see them.

Image is everything, whether we want it to be or not. Reach out in a calm, educated fashion to folks who would never consider a snake a pet. Do so in a polite manner. Outreach and public education can be hard, but are critical at this time.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 21, 2010

Contacts: Peggy Wall, Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, Peggy_Wall@nps.gov, 410-260-2473

Elise Cleva, NPS Headquarters, Elise_M_Cleva@nps.gov, 202-208-6843

Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network America’s Best Idea: National Park Getaway

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The white triangle of a sail against a backdrop of azure

makes one of the most iconic images of summer. So too do the colors of a

sunset reflected in a body of water and the wooden boards of a picnic table

set with lemonade, coleslaw and crab cakes. You’ll find all of these

epitomes of the season on the eastern shores of the Chesapeake Bay in

Maryland and Virginia. This region—the focus of this week’s travel article

in the National Park Getaways series—makes the ideal summer destination.

Come for a weekend or a longer visit, and let the Getaway help you plan

your trip.

Landlubbers can get a crash course in the region’s seafaring heritage at

the Chesapeake Bay and Richardson maritime museums, which also appeal to

those with some experience in plying the waves. To get such experience, go

for a sail or a paddle. Nathan of Dorchester, a replica of a historic

skipjack, sails from Cambridge, Md. In Janes Island State Park, also in

Maryland, paddling opportunities abound.

In addition to places where you can head out to sea, the Getaway points you

to historic towns, as well as spots for feasting on crabs, a specialty of

the region. Go to www.nps.gov/getaways for previous Getaways and this

week’s feature. Fifty-eighth in the series of articles, the Getaway about

the Chesapeake Bay area introduces you to a network of sites where you can

enjoy nature and culture in the company of those you love.

The National Park Service coordinates the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and

Watertrails Network, more than 165 exceptional parks, wildlife refuges,

museums, sailing ships, historic communities, trails and more.

www.nps.gov

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July 20, 2010 – For immediate release

Contact: Samantha Richardson, Samantha_Richardson@nps.gov, 303-969-2825

From the Brooklyn Bridge to Osaka, Japan

National Park Service presents park design awards

WASHINGTON: Public, private and international design firms from more than

20 states and five countries vied for honors in the inaugural Designing the

Parks competition. Entries had to engage people, expand beyond traditional

boundaries and demonstrate reverence for place, sustainability, informed

decision-making and an integrated development process.

“The entries prove that great park design can change derelict factory sites

to ecologically responsible social spaces and old dairy barns to

LEED-certified conference facilities,” National Park Service Director Jon

Jarvis said. “Because the National Park Service has a community and

sustainability mission outside the national parks, it is inspiring to

recognize these exceptional park designs. These places will improve

people’s lives.”

The National Park Service’s Denver Service Center, in partnership with the

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, recognized outstanding examples of

park design in four categories: master planning, site design, building

design and historic preservation design.

Master Planning Awards

Honor: Brooklyn Bridge Park (New York); Michael Van Valkenburgh

Associates, Inc.

Merit: Parklands of Floyds Fork (Louisville, Ky.); Wallace Roberts &

Todd

Merit: Minute Man National Historical Park (Concord, Mass.); Bargmann

Hendrie + Archetype, Inc.

Merit: Flight 93 National Memorial (Somerset, Pa.); Paul Murdoch

Architects and Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects

Site Design Awards

Honor: Waterfront Bunkaza Cultural Plaza (Osaka, Japan); RYUICHI

ASHIZAWA Architects & Associates

Honor: Teardrop Park (New York); Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates,

Inc.

Merit: Eielson Visitor Center, Denali National Park (Denali, Alaska);

Denali National Park and Preserve

Site Design Awards (continued)

Merit: Concrete Plant Park, Bronx River Greenway (Bronx, N.Y.); City of

New York

Merit: Santa Fe Railyard Park (Santa Fe, N.M.); Frederic Schwartz

Architects, Ken Smith Landscape Architects, and Mary Miss, Artist

Merit: Hudson River Park, Tribeca Section (New York); Mathews Nielsen

Merit: Annenberg Community Beach House (Santa Monica, Calif.); Mia

Lehrer and Associates

Building Design Awards

Honor: Pocono Environmental Education Center Multipurpose Space,

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (Dingmans

Ferry, Pa.); Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Honor: Liberty Bell Center, Independence National Historical Park

(Philadelphia); Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Historic Preservation Design Awards

Honor: Blue Ball Barn, Alapocas Run State Park (Wilmington,

Del.);Wallace Roberts & Todd

Honor: Chapultepec Park (Mexico City); Grupo de Diseño Urbano S.C. /

Mario Schjetnan

Honor: Cavallo Point Lodge, Golden Gate National Park (San Francisco);

Architectural Resource Group and Leddy Maytum Stacy

Architects, and Office of Cheryl Barton

An interdisciplinary jury evaluated 69 entries to select the award winners.

Detailed information about the Designing the Parks awards and each project,

including photographs and jury comments, is available at

www.designingtheparks.org.

www.nps.gov

Note: The Denver Service Center is the National Park Service’s centralized planning, design and construction project management office. It works with private industry to provide environmentally responsible and fiscally sound products.

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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”

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National Park Service News Release

July 16, 2010 – For immediate release

Contact: Samantha Richardson, Samantha_Richardson@nps.gov, 303-969-2825

From the Brooklyn Bridge to Osaka, Japan

National Park Service presents park design awards

WASHINGTON: Public, private and international design firms from more than

20 states and five countries vied for honors in the inaugural Designing the

Parks competition. Entries had to engage people, expand beyond traditional

boundaries and demonstrate reverence for place, sustainability, informed

decision-making and an integrated development process.

“The entries prove that great park design can change derelict factory sites

to ecologically responsible social spaces and old dairy barns to

LEED-certified conference facilities.” National Park Service Director Jon

Jarvis said. “Because the National Park Service has a community and

sustainability mission outside the national parks, it is inspiring to

recognize these exceptional park designs. These places will improve

people’s lives.”

The National Park Service’s Denver Service Center, in partnership with the

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, recognized outstanding examples of

park design in four categories: master planning, site design, building

design and historic preservation design.

Master Planning Awards

Honor: Brooklyn Bridge Park (New York); Michael Van Valkenburgh

Associates, Inc.

Merit: Parklands of Floyds Fork (Louisville, Ky.); Wallace Roberts &

Todd

Merit: Minute Man National Historical Park (Concord, Mass.); Bargmann

Hendrie + Archetype, Inc.

Merit: Flight 93 National Memorial (Somerset, Pa.); Paul Murdoch

Architects

Site Design Awards

Honor: Waterfront Bunkaza Cultural Plaza (Osaka, Japan); RYUICHI

ASHIZAWA Architects & Associates

Honor: Teardrop Park (New York); Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates,

Inc.

Merit: Eielson Visitor Center, Denali National Park (Denali, Alaska);

Denali National Park and Preserve

Merit: Concrete Plant Park, Bronx River Greenway (Bronx, N.Y.); City of

New York

Merit: Santa Fe Railyard Park (Santa Fe, N.M.); Frederic Schwartz

Architects

Merit: Hudson River Park (New York); Mathews Nielsen

Merit: Annenberg Community Beach House (Santa Monica, Calif.); Mia

Lehrer and Associates

Building Design Awards

Honor: Pocono Environmental Education Center Multipurpose Space,

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (Dingmans Ferry, Pa.);

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Honor: Liberty Bell Center, Independence National Historical Park

(Philadelphia); Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Historic Preservation Design Awards

Honor: Blue Ball Dairy Barn, Alapocas Run State Park (Wilmington,

Del.);Wallace Roberts & Todd

Honor: Chapultepec Park (Mexico City); Grupo de Diseño Urbano /GDU

Honor: Cavallo Point Lodge, Golden Gate National Park (San Francisco);

Architects Resource Group/The Office of Cheryl Barton

An interdisciplinary jury evaluated 69 entries to select the award winners.

Detailed information about the Designing the Parks awards and each project,

including photographs and jury comments, is available at

www.designingtheparks.org.

www.nps.gov

Note: The Denver Service Center is the National Park Service’s centralized planning, design and construction project management office. It works with private industry to provide environmentally responsible and fiscally sound products

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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.

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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.

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

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Almost everyone in the Manasota Key neighborhood of Englewood Shores — even tourists — knows Schultz. If they do not know her name, they know about her: the woman with the white cinderblock building between two rows of tall “no trespassing signs.”

Invariably, an unwitting tourist or defiant neighbor will linger too long on her property or park a beach chair on her sand. When that happens, Schultz, a wiry woman with straight blonde hair and a smoking habit, calls authorities. She claims her land, a narrow, steeply sloping stretch of beach, extends to the water. In most other situations, beach-front ownership extends only to the wet sand.

“People have the right to walk either in the water or the waters’ edge,” Schultz insists, citing a deed from the state that, more often than not, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office enforces.

This isn’t her first offense either. 4 years ago she took offense to the fact that a turtle laid by her pool, in doing so made life hard for the turtle patrol volunteers. Federal Law requires all nests be marked and permit holding volunteers keep watch on the beaches documenting, marking and protecting the nest.

About four years ago, a turtle nested near her pool. When the nest was about to hatch about 50 days later, volunteers arrived to help dig out the hatchlings.

That incensed Schultz.

“I said, ‘You can’t be digging on the beach and especially on private property,’” Schultz recalled. “They’d invite everybody, ‘Come and see the turtles! Watch them go out to sea!’”

I guess wonder if she will try to have the turtles prosecuted for trespassing?

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