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National Park Service Parktips – March 2010

Blog Master — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:47:23 +0000

National Park Service

Parktips – March 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.

Endangered World and 80.15 W

(Florida) — The installation Endangered World: Biscayne National Park and the exhibit 80.15 W by artist Xavier Cortada are now on view at Biscayne National Park’s Convoy Point and the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. Both works of art call attention to the impact that humans can have on animals.

Cortada conceived of the installation, which members of the local community executed, and created the works on paper that make up 80.15 W. This exhibit and Endangered World mark the International Year of Biodiversity declared by the United Nations and help Biscayne count down the time to BioBlitz—a 24-hour inventory of the species in the park, sponsored by National Geographic—on April 30 and May 1. For more information, please contact Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144 ext. 007.

Get Ready to Run This Spring!

(Pennsylvania) — The Young Friends of Valley Forge and REI Conshohocken will co-sponsor a clinic, “Introduction to Running,” on Tuesday, March 2 at

7 p.m. at REI Conshohocken. If you’re thinking about running your first 5K or 10K but are unsure how to get started, this clinic is for you. Join the Young Friends of Valley Forge, who are training for the fifth annual Valley Forge Revolutionary 5-Mile Run, and REI for this “Intro to Running” clinic.

Essential gear, including footwear and clothing, will be discussed. Come out to learn more about training programs and workout ideas as well as to discover great local places to run. The Young Friends of Valley Forge will be on hand with information about the Revolutionary Run. Learn more at http://valleyforge.org/info/rev-run/. For more information, please contact Graham Dellinger 610-783-1062.

Help Test Yosemite’s Water Quality

(California) — Individuals who care about water quality can volunteer in Yosemite National Park’s program for monitoring the Merced River.

Volunteers sample water for nitrates and phosphorous. Volunteers participate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month except December and February. The next date is March 3. Please see http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Fiesta de Saguaro

(Arizona) — Saguaro National Park will host the fourth annual Fiesta de Saguaro on March 6, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park’s Rincon Mountain (East) District. The event highlights the Hispanic history, culture, and heritage of Saguaro National Park and the surrounding area.

Activities include craft demonstrations, traditional Mariachi music and Folklorico dancing, children’s arts and crafts, and guest speakers.

Traditional Mexican food will be available for purchase. For more information, please contact Melanie Florez at 520-733-5151.

Backcountry Tours at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

(Arizona) — In honor of the Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month in March, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument will host special tours of the park’s backcountry area that is normally closed to the visiting public. Highlights include the Prehistoric Ballcourt, Compound B, and an ancient roasting pit or “horno.” The tours will be offered on Saturday and Sunday mornings, starting on Saturday, March 6 and ending on Sunday, March 28. For more information, please contact Superintendent Karl Cordova at 520-723-3172.

Women’s History Month in National Parks of New York Harbor New York — The National Parks of New York Harbor are celebrating Women’s History Month with a variety of special programs. A musician specializing in historic songs will recreate Jenny Lind’s performance at Castle Garden, now Castle Clinton National Monument. Women’s suffrage is the subject of a discussion being held at the Fort Wadsworth Visitor Center in the Staten Island Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area on March 6. On March 12, visitors to St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site can learn about lives of women in 18th-century America based on symbolism and inscriptions on gravestones, including several in the historic burial yard at St. Paul’s.

Join the National Park Service at Federal Hall National Memorial on March

22 for “Symbols, Soldiers, Spies,” a day filled with tales of triumph and tragedy as National Park Service rangers and costumed re-enactors bring to life the women who helped shape 18th-century North America. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208 or mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

Celebrating the Life of Dolley Todd

(Pennsylvania) — Independence National Historical Park and the National Constitution Center celebrate Dolley Madison: America’s First Lady. In honor of Women’s History Month and the enduring legacy of Dolley Todd Madison, the Todd House will be open for special tours on Monday, March 8 between 1 and 5 p.m. Built in 1775, the Todd House was occupied from 1791 to 1793 by lawyer John Todd and his wife, Dolley Payne. Following her husband’s death in 1793, Dolley married James Madison. At 6 p.m., the National Constitution Center hosts Dolley Madison: America’s First Lady, a 90-minute portrait from PBS’s American Experience. Following the screening, there will be a short conversation with executive producer Catherine Allan, producer and director Muffie Meyer, writer Ronald Blumer, and historian Holly Shulman, director of the Dolley Madison Project at the University of Virginia. For more information, please contact Jane Cowley at 215-597-0060 or visit www.nps.gov/inde.

King of the Lobby: Sam Ward, Longfellow’s Friend of Half a Century

(Massachusetts) — Author Kathryn Allamong Jacob, curator of manuscripts, Schlesinger Library at Harvard University, speaks about her newest book, King of the Lobby: The Life and Times of Sam Ward, Man-About-Washington in the Gilded Age. Ward was a statesman, orator, and author and one of Henry Longfellow’s closest friends. Ward’s major impact on American history, however, came from his role as a lobbyist in Washington. Book sales and signing to take place on Wednesday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Longfellow Carriage House. Please call 617-876-4491.

Night Prowl at Sandy Hook

New Jersey — Set out from the Sandy Hook Visitor Center to explore a habitat on a nighttime hike from 7 to 9 p.m. on March 13. For more information, please call 718-354-4606 or e-mail GATE_Public_Affairs@nps.gov .

Eighteenth-Century Tea and Fashion Show

(New York) — On Sunday, March 14 at 1:30 p.m. in the Saratoga Town Hall, numerous volunteers and staff from Saratoga National Historical Park will present an afternoon tea and fashion show. The show will feature clothing worn by lower, middling, and upper class men, women, and children of the late 1700s. The program (Project Runaway) will also include music and visual images to enhance the atmosphere of the time. A social “tea”

follows, in which treats using original 18th-century recipes will be served. The event is a “Friend-Raiser” cosponsored by the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. For more information, please contact Gina Johnson, Chief of Interpretation, at 518-664-9821 ext. 227.

Grand Canyon Hosts Third Annual Alternative Spring Break

(Arizona) — Grand Canyon National Park will host the third annual Alternative Spring Break program sponsored by the Student Conservation Association (SCA), in partnership with American Eagle Outfitters. Grand Canyon is the only site hosting an SCA Alternative Spring Break program this year. The program gives college students the opportunity to spend their spring break volunteering in one of America’s iconic national parks.

Students will work with park and SCA staff on a variety of projects directly leading to the preservation and protection of Grand Canyon’s natural and cultural resources. The two one-week sessions begin on March 15. For more information, please contact Kassy Theobald, Restoration Biologist, Grand Canyon National Park, at 928-638-7857 or kassandra_theobald@nps.gov.

Puzzles of Dorchester Heights: Washington Ends the Siege of Boston

(Massachusetts) — Historians agree that placing artillery on the hills of the Dorchester peninsula was decisive in forcing the British military to evacuate Boston on March 17, 1776. But why had it taken so long for either army to seize that high ground? What was General Washington’s role in setting strategy? And what other factors were important at the end of the siege? Dr. Robert Cameron Mitchell, professor emeritus, Clark University, presents this talk on Wednesday, March 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Longfellow Carriage House. Please call 617-876-4491.

Return to Battle of Monmouth Via Archeology

(Pennsylvania) — On Thursday, March 18, 2010, archeologist Dan Sividich presents “Archaeology at Monmouth, the Battle after Valley Forge.” On June 28, 1778, the two great armies of the American Revolution clashed on the plains of Monmouth Courthouse in the largest battle of the war. By using metal detectors, computer mapping, and new field techniques, archeologists have established previously undocumented aspects of the conflict, including the location of Proctor’s Artillery, the gun to which Molly Pitcher attended. The presentation, part of the Friends Lecture Series at the Chapel, will give the audience a comprehensive look at battlefield archaeology being conducted at Monmouth Battlefield State Park. For more information, please contact Nancy Loane at nancyloane@comcast.net.

First Bloom Garden Ceremony

(Louisiana) — Since last fall, students from Thibodaux, Louisiana, and the surrounding area have participated in the national First Bloom program at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. The students have worked with rangers at the center, learned about native plants, and planted the gardens at the center. Stop by for some green thumb fun on March 20 as the kids put the finishing touches on their work and learn a few garden tips to take home. The garden dedication ceremony is at 11 a.m., followed by refreshments. For more information, please contact the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center at 985-448-1375.

Start of Sitka’s Centennial Year

(Alaska) — Designated Sitka National Monument on March 23, 1910, Sitka National Historical Park is the oldest park in Alaska and among the oldest in the United States. This month, the park celebrates its 100-year anniversary, with events on March 21 and 23 kicking off an entire year of celebrations. On March 21, a Raven’s Tail Robe, woven by nationally acclaimed artist Teri Rofkar, will be dedicated and presented to the park.

An original and true form of Tlingit art, these woven robes tell stories and preserve aspects of Tlingit culture. On March 23, the park will open an exhibit of historical photography by E.W. Merrill, depicting life in Sitka in the early 1900s. Dance events by Tlingit and Russian dancers are planned. Information on the centennial is available at http://www.nps.gov/sitk/100-year-anniversary.htm. For interviews, please contact Superintendent Mary Miller at 907-747-6281.

Grand Canyon National Park to Celebrate Archeology Day

(Arizona) — On Saturday, March 27, Grand Canyon National Park will celebrate Archeology Day. This event provides park visitors with the opportunity to learn more about native peoples who inhabited the Grand Canyon long ago. Visitors can gain a greater understanding of what archeologists do and how their work informs an understanding of the past.

Archeology Day will feature a series of special, family-friendly activities at Grand Canyon Visitor Center between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., including opportunities to make clay pinch pots and split-twig figurines and to “sift for artifacts.” There will also be two special evening programs associated with the event: Vanishing Treasures archeologist Ian Hough will share new archeological research in Grand Canyon on March 26, and Park Guide Jennifer Onufer will share her experiences on an archeology trip down the Colorado River on March 27. The event website is http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/arch_day.htm. For more information, please contact Libby Schaaf, Supervisory Park Ranger, at 928-638-7641.

LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour

(Texas) — On March 27, visitors to the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park can go on a bicycle ride originating and ending on the LBJ Ranch. Participants may choose from a variety of routes that span seven distances from the ranch into the Texas Hill Country. The longest distance is 100 km. Pre-registration information is available on the internet at www.lbj100bicycletour.org. Luci Johnson will lead an intimate tour of the LBJ Ranch that afternoon. For more information, please contact Liz Lindig at 830-868-7128 ext. 231 or Sherry Justus at 830-868-7128 ext. 245.

Women’s History Month Program: Necessity the Mother of Invention (West Virginia) — Women of Harpers Ferry employed inventions of the Industrial Revolution in their everyday lives. Special exhibits and demonstrations at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will feature the town’s manufacturing and technological advances in such areas as gardening, preserving food, and manufacturing fabric. The Women’s History Month Program will take place on March 27 and 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Lower Town. For more information, please call 304-535-6224.

Celebrate Spring at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve!

(Louisiana) — In the Barataria Preserve’s wild wetlands, enjoy “Spring in the Swamp” on Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Try canoeing on a brief paddle with a ranger. Meet underwater creatures via dip net, and explore the trails on guided walks. “Spring in the Swamp” is free.

For more information, please contact Jim MacDonald 504-689-3690.

Historian David Hackett Fischer to Speak on American Revolution New York — Acclaimed historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Hackett Fischer, a distinguished Professor at Brandeis University, will deliver the annual Aronson Memorial Lecture about the American Revolution at 2 p.m. on March 27 at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208 or mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

2010 Snow Surveys Begin at Yosemite

(California) — Yosemite National Park has begun its 2010 snow surveys.

Measurements are collected four times per year at carefully chosen locations called snow courses. Snow surveys reflect varying levels in precipitation based on climate and changes in climate. The final snow survey is April 1. For more information, please see an online source for the California Cooperative Snow Surveys, http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/index.html. Also for more information, please contact Jim Roche at Jim_Roche@nps.gov or 209-379-379-1446 or Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Meet Abydosaurus mcintoshi

(Colorado, Utah) — Researchers working in Dinosaur National Monument have excavated fossil remains of a previously unknown dinosaur, Abydosaurus mcintoshi, a large plant-eater. The fossils include the only complete sauropod skull in the Western Hemisphere from the last 80 million years of the Age of Dinosaurs—a rare and informative find. For more information, please contact Dan Chure at 801-703-1267.

NC Traditions on the Air

(North Carolina) — The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA) is partnering with WNCW radio to develop and broadcast a new series called Living Traditions Moments. These two-minute vignettes, which will air on Fridays just before 8 p.m., highlight stories about the people and traditions of the North Carolina mountains and foothills and about how these treasured traditions are being kept alive. For more information, please contact Kathleen Callahan Durcan, Assistant Coordinator for National Heritage Areas, 202-354-2268.

Exploring the Home Port: New Bedford Whaling Premieres Television Series

(Massachusetts) — On February 14, 2010, during a celebration of the 192nd birthday of Frederick Douglass, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park premiered the first episode of its new television series, Exploring the Home Port. The first episode, “The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass in New Bedford,” explores Douglass’s life in New Bedford, including his escape, name change, work, and political activities. The episode will air on New Bedford Cable Access throughout the month of March. Future episodes will explore diverse themes and stories associated with the park. For more information about New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, please call

508-996-4095 or visit www.nps.gov/nebe.

New Bedford Whaling Expands Costumed Interpretation

(Massachusetts) — Lucy Bly and Judy Roderiques, seasonal rangers at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, bring the 1850s to life each month as Ruth and Abby, the wives of former whalers. This special program had previously run during summer only. Bly and Roderiques have carried out extensive research, and focus on a distinct topic or area each month.

Recent appearances have included demonstrations of needlework, stories from around the world about monsters of the sea, and the moral dilemma of the

Fugitive Slave Law and abolitionism. For more information about New

Bedford Whaling National Historical Park’s programs, please call

508-996-4095 or visit www.nps.gov/nebe.

Quest for Treasure

(Ohio) — A new type of treasure hunt is coming to the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway, which stretches from Cleveland through Akron and Canton to New Philadelphia. Volunteers and teachers are needed to get the new family-oriented recreational program off the ground. Questing involves following a rhyming trail of charming clues and a curious map to find a hidden box. Participants log their finds and collect unique stamps in passport-like booklets while gaining a richer sense of place. For more information, please contact Kathleen Callahan Durcan, Assistant Coordinator for National Heritage Areas, at 202-354-2268.

Yosemite to Study Sky-Island Flora

(California) — In 2010-2012, Yosemite National Park staff will be conducting a botanical inventory of the park’s sky-island floras. These specialized plant communities occupy dry, cold plateaus at the crest of the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite south to Sequoia-Kings Canyon. The plants of these sites are highly vulnerable to the drying and warming predicted by many climate forecast models. Data gathered from this project will assist park managers in protecting resources. For more information, please contact Alison Colwell at Alison_Colwell@nps.gov or 209-379-3295 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Commemoration of Women’s History Month

(Pennsylvania) — Visitors to Independence National Historical Park are invited to celebrate Women’s History Month 2010. A free program will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays in March at 2 p.m. in the Franklin Court Underground Museum. This program, led by a park ranger, highlights the contributions of women to the founding of our nation. For more information, please contact Jane Cowley at 215-597-0060 or visit www.nps.gov/inde.

Hike in the Footsteps of Revolutionary War Soldiers (New Jersey) — The Jockey Hollow and New Jersey Brigade areas of Morristown National Historical Park offer 27 miles of trails through the historic encampment site of George Washington’s army. Winter brings the opportunity to hike or snowshoe to replicas of soldier huts and to envision the sacrifices made by the 10,000 Continental Army soldiers encamped there during the hard winter of 1779 to 1780. The park’s revised, full-color brochure includes trail routes, topography, photos, and descriptions of the hikes, which range from the easy Primrose Brook trail to the strenuous New Jersey Brigade trail. For more information, please contact Jamie Keller, Acting Chief of Interpretation, at 973-539-2016 ext. 210.

New Bedford Whaling NHP Begins 13-Week Volunteer Training Course

(Massachusetts) — New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is currently offering a free 13-week course on local history and culture as well as on the basics of customer service and connecting visitors with the park. Although geared towards current and potential volunteers, the course is open to any member of the public interested in learning more about the local area. There are workshops on the history of whaling, historic structures within the boundaries of the park, the basics of interpretation, and front-desk training and customer service. There is also a crash course on themes and a special training for those planning to assist with educational programs. For more information about New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park’s volunteer program, please call 508-996-4095 or visit www.nps.gov/nebe.

Woodcock Watch

New York — Come to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to attend a short indoor presentation and then watch the remarkable American woodcock perform his courtship display in the evening dusk. For more information, please call

718-354-4606 or e-mail GATE_Public_Affairs@nps.gov.

My Tags: Alaska, America, Arizona, California, Colorado, Community, Conservation, DOW, Florida, Gun, Kid, Law, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, News, North Carolina, Ohio, Park, Pennsylvania, Photos, Ranch, Rat, Russia, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wildlife

Boston African American National Historic Site America’s Best Idea: National Park Getaway

Blog Master — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:49:21 +0000

National Park Service News Release

Boston African American National Historic Site

America’s Best Idea: National Park Getaway

Sean Hennessey, Boston African American NHS, Sean_Hennessey@nps.gov,

617-242-5616

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

February 24, 2010

BOSTON – In a day in which air travel has transformed trans-Atlantic and cross-country voyages from matters of months into matters of hours, the term “journey,” designating a displacement that takes a goodly length of time and presents challenges, doesn’t appear in statements like “My spring break journey to Florida is coming up” or “To attend the meeting in Denver, I’ll have to go on a business journey.” Rarely do we use the word literally. Instead, we speak of our journey on the road of life or of a spiritual journey. The notion of traveling far and encountering joys, sorrows, and emotional plateaus along the way often serves us as a vehicle for talking about experiences that span years, test us, and give us chances to stop and feel satisfied.

It is appropriate, then, to refer to the history of 19th-century African Americans in the city of Boston as a journey. For more than a century, members of Boston’s black community fought segregation, opposed slavery, worked, and made their homes on Beacon Hill.

You might not know just how fitting it is to allude to the journey of the city’s African Americans until you visit Boston African American National Historic Site, where you can learn the story of this group of people by making a journey of your own on the Black Heritage Trail ®.

"At a time when national symbols of democracy are more important than ever, and when the story of our nation must be told, many important marking points of that story are right here in Massachusetts," said Boston African American National Historic Site Superintendent Cassius Cash. "I encourage you to journey to Boston and experience your America."

Boston African American NHS is the 37th National Park Getaway in a series that introduces readers each week to a new place to reconnect with nature, history, family, and friends. This week, the Getaway article provides an orientation in advance of a walk on the Black Heritage Trail ®. Read it to find out where the trail begins and ends and what you can see while following it. Also check out the Getaway for background information about 19th-century Boston and the history of the city’s African American residents prior to the 1800s. Read, too, to hear the story behind the Lewis and Harriet Hayden House—a tale that threatened an explosive ending!

To read previous Getaways, please visit www.nps.gov/getaways. This archive of feature stories includes articles about Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial and Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site—articles that, like this week’s, help readers to know the journey of black history in the United States.

My Tags: America, Community, Denver, Florida, Massachusetts, News, Park

Parktips – February 2010

Blog Master — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:00:03 +0000

National Park Service

Parktips – February 2010

Conversations on the Edge

(Arizona) — Grand Canyon National Park’s Division of Science and Resource Management will present monthly community lectures in Flagstaff in collaboration with the Grand Canyon Association and Northern Arizona University’s Cline Library. The Conversations on the Edge lecture series will feature resource specialists from the park speaking about monitoring, managing, and preserving Grand Canyon’s natural and cultural resources for present and future generations. The lectures will take place the first Wednesday of every month, February through May, 2010. This year’s speakers will include Acting Cultural Resources Program Manager Ian Hough, Vegetation Mapping Coordinator Mike Kearsley, Hydrologist Steve Rice, and Wildlife Biologist Brandon Holton. All of the lectures are free and open to the public. On February 3, Mr. Hough will speak on “Extreme Cultural

Landscapes: New Archeological Research in Grand Canyon National Park” from

7 to 8:30 p.m. For more on this year’s Conversations, please contact Allyson Mathis, Science and Education Outreach Coordinator, at 928-638-7923 or visit http://www.nps.gov/grca/naturescience/srmlec09.htm.

Book Publication Party for Ten Hills Farm

(Massachusetts) — Celebrate the release of Catherine S. Manegold’s newest book, Ten Hills Farm: The Forgotten History of Slavery in the North, with an illustrated talk given by Manegold and hosted by Longfellow National Historic Site. This free event will be held on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, at 6:30 p.m. in the Sherrill Library (third floor) on the Lesley University/Episcopal Divinity School campus. (The campus is next to Longfellow NHS, at the corner of Brattle and Mason streets in Cambridge.) The evening will include book sales and a book signing. Seating is limited, and reservations are required. Please call 617-876-4491 to reserve a seat.

For more information, please contact Nancy Jones at 617-876-4491.

23rd Annual Whale Watch Weekend & Intertidal Life Festival at Cabrillo

(California) — Each year, an estimated 20,000 gray whales in the Eastern Pacific herd return from Alaskan feeding waters to warm, shallow lagoons in Baja California to give birth and find mates. Their roundtrip migration is the longest of any mammal in the world. Cabrillo National Monument will hold its 23rd annual Whale Watch Weekend and Intertidal Life Festival on February 6 and 7, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This educational, family-oriented event celebrates the return of migrating Pacific gray whales to Point Loma and the intertidal life found in the tide pools on the monument’s western shore. This year’s festival will also celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the park’s new Kelp Forest and Whale Overlook and will coincide with the park’s hosting of the temporary exhibit “Sea of Cortez.”

In addition to whales and sea anemones, this exciting weekend will feature guest speakers, films, and a puppet show. For more information, please contact Rick Jenkins at 619-523-4573 or Rick_Jenkins@nps.gov.

Discover a People “Hidden in Plain Sight” at Ellis Island (New York) — From February 6 through May 9, 2010, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum will host the interactive exhibit “Hidden in Plain

Sight: The Basques.” The exhibit presents object-based learning opportunities about the unique origins, language, and history of the Basque people; the factors that pulled them from their homes; the legendary tales of these immigrants; Basque contributions in the United States and the world; and the unprecedented cultural connection that pushes them to keep expanding, rather than diminishing, the transcontinental exchange. Basques have rarely been recognized for their historic contributions or cultural distinctiveness. As they passed through Ellis Island, well-meaning officials often disregarded Basques’ nationality, names, and heritage.

Today, even though Basque politicians, scientists, sports figures, business executives, artists, and movie stars may be prominent throughout the United States and in many nations around the world, they are still not often recognized as being Basque, perpetuating their being “hidden in plain sight.” This exhibit is organized by the Basque Museum & Cultural Center (BMCC), the Basque Autonomous government, and the Boise State University Basque Studies Center. The exhibit is suitable for visitors ages nine and older. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208.

Discover the Story of the Buffalo Soldiers Bicycle Corps (New York) — Join a National Park Service ranger for a talk about the African American infantry soldiers who rode bicycles from Montana west to Yellowstone National Park and east to St. Louis, Missouri, in the 1880s.

This Black History Month program will take place in the visitor center at Ft. Wadsworth in the Staten Island Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 6. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208.

Farmyard Children’s Program

(Virginia) — On February 6 at 2 p.m., kids can see and learn about the types of animals on an 1850s farm at Booker T. Washington National Monument. The program features activities and a walk with Ranger Ann. There will also be a 28th birthday celebration for “Go” the horse. For more information, please contact Ranger Ann Jensen at 540-721-2094.

“Nearest Place to Nowhere: The Life of Dr. Booker T. Washington”

(Virginia) — A park ranger presentation at Booker T. Washington National Monument reveals struggles and challenges faced by Washington as he rose “up from slavery” to become a leader in black education and a spokesman for the economic progress of African Americans. The presentation will be at 2 p.m. on February 7. For more information, please contact Ranger Betsy Haynes at 540-721-2094.

Lincoln at Cooper Union

(West Virginia) — Throughout February, Black History Month, a special exhibit entitled “Abraham Lincoln at Cooper Union: Prelude to Emancipation”

will focus on Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 speech against the expansion of slavery. This exhibit will open on Sunday, February 7, 2010, at 2 p.m. on the second floor of the John Brown Museum on Shenandoah Street in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Mr. Jim Getty will give a presentation as Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. A ribbon-cutting ceremony opening the exhibit will follow Mr. Getty’s presentation. For more information, please contact Kim Biggs at 304-535-6024.

Manzanar Barracks Groundbreaking Set for February 13, 2010

(California) — The National Park Service, Friends of Manzanar, and Manzanar History Association invite the public to attend a groundbreaking event at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, 2010. From 1942 to 1945, Manzanar War Relocation Center confined more than 10,000 Japanese Americans in 36 blocks. Each block included 14 barracks buildings, a mess hall, a recreation building, latrines, and laundry and ironing rooms. After the war, the buildings were sold for scrap lumber or relocated. In 1997, in consultation with the Manzanar Advisory Commission, former internees, historians, and others, the National Park Service approved the development of Block 14 as a “demonstration block” to interpret daily life in the camp.

In fiscal years 2009 and 2010, Congress approved funding for reconstructing Barracks 1 and 8 on Block 14. A restored World War II mess hall that was moved to the site from Bishop Airport in 2002 will open to visitors later this year. After the groundbreaking for the barracks, Manzanar History Association will provide light refreshments in the mess hall. Later that day, the National Park Service invites former internees to gather informally with visitors in the Manzanar Interpretive Center to share their memories and experiences. The events are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Alisa Lynch or Nancy Hadlock at

760-878-2194 ext. 2711 or ext. 2716.

Presidents and African American History

(New York) — Please join the National Park Service from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 13 at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site for talks and re-enactments commemorating Presidents Day and African American History Month (February). Events will include appearances by Presidents Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as talks about Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In addition, there will be special activities for children. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208.

Fire Island National Seashore Participates in Great Backyard Bird Count (New York) — On Saturday, February 13, a ranger will guide a three-hour, three-mile bird walk through the 613-acre William Floyd Estate in Mastic Beach on Long Island. During this program, led by naturalist MaryLaura Lamont, all observed bird species will be tallied and submitted to the annual Great Backyard Bird Count, a citizen science project hosted by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology ( www.birdcount.org). Fire Island National Seashore’s free program starts at

9 a.m. Additional winter hikes and programs are offered at the Fire Island Lighthouse and the Wilderness Visitor Center on Fire Island. For more information, please contact Paula Valentine at 631-687-4859 or visit www.nps.gov/fiis.

Annual Boy Scouts of America Pilgrimage

(Pennsylvania) — On Saturday, February 13, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Valley Forge National Historical Park will host the 97th Anniversary George Washington Birthday Encampment and Pilgrimage of the Boy Scouts of America. In this event—the oldest continuous annual Boy Scouts event in the world—scouts will march to several specially-designed outdoor theme sites.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Elise Cleva at 202-208-6843 or Elise_M_Cleva@nps.gov.

Fort Barrancas by Candlelight

(Florida) — Gulf Islands National Seashore will present a candlelight tour of Fort Barrancas on Saturday, February 13 from 5 to 7:15 p.m. Small groups will depart the visitor center every 15 minutes for the hour-long tour.

Costumed interpreters will present the history of Pensacola during the Civil War at different stations inside the fort. In addition, the Fort Barrancas Visitor Center, with new museum exhibits, audiovisual programs, and a bookstore, will be open. Visitors should call 850-455-5167 for tour reservations, which are required. For more information, please contact Gail Bishop at 850-934-2608 or Stanley Lawhead at 850-934-2629.

Xavier Cortada’s “Endangered World” at Biscayne National Park

(Florida) — Miami artist Xavier Cortada will mount a major installation at Biscayne National Park’s Convoy Point this winter and spring. “Endangered

World: Biscayne National Park” will feature 360 brightly colored flags lining the roads and trails at Convoy Point for over a mile, each representing one degree of the planet’s longitude. Individuals and organizations will adopt an endangered or threatened animal that lives at that longitude and paint an image of the animal on one of the flags. At the same time, participants will commit to an “eco-action” that directly or indirectly mitigates the plight of that animal. The flags will be on display from February 14 to May 1, 2010, for the 10 weeks leading up to BioBlitz, National Geographic’s 24-hour count of as many living things as possible in Biscayne National Park. The flags will then become a part of an “Endangered World” traveling exhibit that will go to other national parks around the country. For more information, please visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/bisc, contact Ranger Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144 ext. 007, or e-mail Project Manager Arielle Angel at participatory.artprojects@gmail.com.

BioBlitz: For the Love of Diversity

(Florida) — Family Fun Fest is a free public program held at Biscayne National Park on the second Sunday of every month from December through April. Each month, the festival highlights a different aspect of the park’s diverse resources at five hands-on activity stations located around the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. This month’s event (on February 14 from 1 to

4 p.m.) is titled “BioBlitz: For the Love of Diversity.” The United Nations has declared 2010 the “International Year of Biodiversity,” and National Geographic is joining with Biscayne National Park later this spring for BioBlitz, a 24-hour, all-species biodiversity count for the park. Be among the first to see the new “Endangered World” art installation; discover how biodiversity is like a box of chocolates; and find out, in Episode 3 of

Climate: 911, if superheroes Buffer Boy and The Colorizer can protect Biscayne’s animals from Dr. Verduga’s evil plans to warm the planet and change it forever. For more information, please contact Ranger Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144 ext. 007.

The 2nd Pennsylvania

(Pennsylvania ) — On Sunday, February 14, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors to Valley Forge National Historical Park can see the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment at the Muhlenberg Brigade huts. There will be musket-firing programs and cooking demonstrations. Ranger-led walks to the Muhlenberg Brigade huts take place at 10:20 a.m., 12:50 p.m., and 2:20 p.m., with musket and artillery programs at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Barb Pollarine at 610-783-1032.

Sagamore Hill Announces Free Programs February 14 to 21, 2010 (New York) — Sagamore Hill will be open every day the week of Presidents Day, including the holiday itself, February 15, and will offer a variety of free programs, activities, and exhibits. Check out the new exhibit at the Old Orchard Museum about the history of the West Wing of the White House.

Go on a guided nature walk. See special guests, including President Roosevelt who, portrayed by James Foote, will offer his interpretive portrayal of TR and an exclusive “storytime program” for children. In addition, children’s book author Leslie Kimmelman will read her book Mind Your Manners, Alice Roosevelt and be available to sign this work about the rebellious young Alice, the president’s eldest daughter. Visit Sagamore Hill’s website, www.nps.gov/sahi, and, starting February 1, download a podcast developed especially for Presidents Day week about Theodore Roosevelt and his historical assessments of U.S. presidents who preceded him. For more information, please contact Noreen Hancock at 516-922-4788.

Washington’s 278th Birthday Celebration

(Pennsylvania ) — Valley Forge National Historical Park will celebrate George Washington’s birthday on Monday, February 15, 2010, from 10 a.m. to

2 p.m. Visitors can meet portrayers of Martha Washington and General Washington in the visitor center while listening to period music by the Colonial Revelers. Children can make their own tri-corner hats and design birthday cards for the general in the Encampment Store from 10 a.m. to noon. After the card- and hat-making, Mrs. Washington will present, for tasting, a birthday cake baked from her own original recipe. Children may also enlist in the Continental Army. General Washington will review and lead the young troops in marching and maneuvering drills executed according to General Von Steuben’s training manual. The events are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Kimberly Szewczyk at

610-783-1014 or Kimberly_Szewczyk@nps.gov.

Storytelling by Royal Shiree

(Virginia) — On February 20 at 7 p.m., Booker T. Washington National Monument celebrates Black History Month with this special program. Royal Shiree takes storytelling to a new level by sharing her experiences of teaching history to fifth graders. With humor and dramatic flair, Royal takes the audience on a fascinating journey in time. For more information, please contact Ranger Timbo Sims at 540-721-2094.

Thirsting for Knowledge? Try “Tapping into Science”

(Washington) — A new series of monthly presentations, Tapping into Science, is exploring current science in the North Cascades. An approximately 30-minute presentation is given on the last Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen (601 West Holly Street, Bellingham, Washington). The second program in the series will be “Thirsty Mountain Tops: Decline of Frost-Brewed Glaciers” on February 24. Two-thirds of the glaciers in the lower 48 states are in the North Cascades. What does glacier monitoring tell us about their, and our, future? Dr. Jon Riedel, a geologist at North Cascades National Park, will present. For more information, please contact Charles Beall at 360-854-7302.

Winterfest

(Alaska) — Denali National Park and Preserve, its partners, and the Denali Borough communities will celebrate all that is special about our longest season during the 10th annual Winterfest Celebration from Friday, February

26 through Sunday, February 28. The schedule will include an array of events for all ages, interests, and abilities, outdoors and indoors.

Activities will include sled-dog rides, a ranger-guided snowshoe walk, ice carving, and a snow-sculpting contest. The complete schedule of activities will be posted at www.nps.gov/dena in early February. For more information, please contact Kris Fister at 907-683-9583 or kris_fister@nps.gov.

Yosemite Renaissance XXV Juried Exhibition Opens

(California) — The 25th Yosemite Renaissance exhibition opens on Saturday, February 27, 2010, at the National Park Service Yosemite Museum Gallery.

This annual exhibit encourages diverse interpretations of Yosemite and the environment of the Sierra Nevada. This year’s competitive exhibit was selected from a record number of entries. Forty-two paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures by artists throughout the country will be on display. The exhibit hours are 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. daily. The official opening will be preceded by an opening reception and an awards presentation from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 26. The public is cordially invited to attend this reception. The exhibit continues through May 2. For more information on Yosemite Renaissance and its programs, please visit www.yosemiterenaissance.org.

An Evening with the Painting

(Pennsylvania) — On February 27 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., visit Gettysburg National Military Park and learn about the history and conservation of the Gettysburg Cyclorama painting. The evening includes an opportunity to spend time viewing the Cyclorama. For tickets, please visit www.gettysburgfoundation.org or call 877-874-2478. For more information, please contact Gettysburg National Military Park at 717-334-1124 ext. 8023 or visit www.nps.gov/gett.

Sitka NHP Readies for Centennial

(Alaska) — March marks the start of the centennial year for Sitka National Historical Park in southeast Alaska. Sitka was established as a national monument on March 23, 1910. The park includes the site of the 1804 fort and battleground that saw the last major Tlingit Indian resistance to Russian colonization. The park also features the 1842 Russian Bishop’s House, the best-preserved architecture of the colonial period. The park will mark the anniversary with the carving of a new totem pole beginning in January and will host anniversary events on March 21 and 23. For more information, please contact Dusty Kidd at 907-747-6281 and check http://www.nps.gov/sitk/100-year-anniversary.htm.

Unexpected Discovery in Castillo San Felipe del Morro (Puerto Rico) — A group of maintenance employees of the San Juan National Historic Site were removing ground from a shoreline trail of Castillo San Felipe del Morro when they found three buried, historical medals that had disappeared almost 18 years ago. In February 1992, the Military Museum, then located in El Morro, was vandalized, and a Spanish carbine of 1898, along with the three medals, was stolen. A month after the museum break-in, the carbine was recovered, but the medals, in spite of all the investigative efforts, could not be located. All those interested in seeing the historical medals, which were awarded by the Spanish government to Colonel José Antonio de Iriarte y Travieso, commanding official of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, in recognition of merit and valor in combat during the 1898 Spanish-American War, are welcome to visit the Cultural Resources Division, located in Castillo San Cristobal. The division is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, please contact Elise Cleva at 202-208-6843 or Elise_M_Cleva@nps.gov.

A Whaling Adventure

(Massachusetts) — New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is launching a new online activity for children. The program, A Whaling Adventure, uses flash animation and a combination of historic images, quotes, paintings, illustrations, and audio clips to introduce young visitors to the whaling story. Learn about the people and places you may have found in a whaling port of the 1850s by peeking inside blacksmith and cooper shops, a whaleman’s chapel, homes, and other locales in the “home port” section of the activity. After exploring the home port, set sail on a whaling voyage around the world and explore foreign ports in the Azores, Cape Verde, Hawaii, and Alaska. For more information about New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, please call 508-996-4095 or visit www.nps.gov/nebe.

Yosemite Hands-On to Protect Bears

(California) — Yosemite National Park managers work to protect the American black bear. The challenge: human errors can easily affect the species. Humans may approach too closely or store food improperly.

Yosemite’s 2009 Interdivisional Bear Team accomplished 210 night patrols;

38,573 vehicle inspections; and 4,607 campsite inspections. In addition, the bear team mitigated 7,862 food storage violations; wrote 1,954 food storage warnings and gave 1,065 verbal warnings; and impounded food 54 times. The team also set 239 bear traps, captured 21 individual bears, placed radio collars on 12 bears, and received 25 reports of bears hit by vehicles. Bear activity in 2009 peaked in August, with 124 bear incidents.

In more than 535 total incidents, financial damage amounted to more than $80,000, half of which was to cars in parking lots. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Thousands Became Yosemite Junior Rangers in 2009

(California) — In 2009, more than 27,000 children became Yosemite Junior Rangers, compared with 15,000 in 2008 and 6,000 in 2007. The 2009 increase is due to an increase in daily Junior Ranger programs given by the park’s summer interpretive rangers and supported by a Yosemite Fund project.

Yosemite offers books for two age groups (ages seven to 13 and ages three to six) and in multiple languages. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Tom Medema at 209-372-0291.

Yosemite Tallies Its Battle Against Invasive Plants

(California) — Yosemite National Park’s invasive plant crew technicians treated 156 gross-infested acres (27 acres in wilderness) in 2009. On the whole, invasive plant ecologists recorded 805 acres (285 in wilderness) of non-native plant infestations. Using GIS, the invasive plant crew mapped

2,664 points, lines, and polygons of invasive plant infestations and treatments in 2009. Yosemite’s removal efforts focus on the control of nine high-priority species: yellow star-thistle, Himalayan blackberry, spotted knapweed, bull thistle, common velvet grass, cheat grass, French broom, Italian thistle, and perennial pepperweed. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Acadia National Park Adult Education Courses

(Maine) — Acadia National Park staff will offer two adult education courses in the local communities of Bar Harbor and Ellsworth, Maine. New this year for the Bar Harbor sessions will be three outdoor activities:

tips on weathering the cold winter safely and in comfort, learning about the signs of animals in the winter, and a geology walk. Topics for the Ellsworth session will include forest ecology, fire ecology, history of the carriage roads, and history of Downeast Maine. For more information, please contact Ardrianna McLane at 207-288-8733 or Kate Petrie at 207-288-8808.

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

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

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

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

My Tags: Alaska, America, Arizona, California, Community, Conservation, DOW, Florida, Forest, Hawaii, Kid, Law, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, News, Outdoors, Park, Pennsylvania, Podcast, Pup, Rat, Russia, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wildlife

Nantucket Sound Found Eligible for Listing in National Register

Blog Master — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:52:50 +0000

National Park Service News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 4, 2010

Contact: David Barna (202) 208-6843

Nantucket Sound Found Eligible for Listing in National Register

Washington, DC – The National Park Service today announced the decision by its Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places that Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts is eligible for listing in the National Register for its significance as a traditional cultural property and as an historic and archeological property.

The Keeper made a determination that the Sound is eligible based on:

* its associations with the ancient and historic period Native

American exploration and settlement of Cape Cod and the Islands, and

with the central events of the Wampanoags’ stories of Maushop and

Squant/Squannit;

* its association with Maushop and Squant/Squannit;

* as a significant and distinguishable entity integral to Wampanoags’

folklife traditions, practices, cosmology, religion, material

culture, foodways, mentoring, and narratives; and,

* for the important cultural, historical, and scientific information

it has yielded and/or may be likely to yield through archeology,

history, and ethnography about access to resources, patterns of

settlement, mobility, and land use prior to and after 6,000 years ago

as a result of the inundation of the Sound. It is also important for

the significant information it provides and can provide about the

cultural practices and traditions of the Native Americans of Cape Cod

and the Islands in relationship with other peoples since ancient

times.

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Parktips – December 2009

Blog Master — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:38:08 +0000

National Park Service

Parktips – December 2009

The Meaning and Legacy of John Brown: A Talk by Author John Stauffer on the 150th Anniversary of Brown’s Execution

(Massachusetts) — John Brown’s raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry and subsequent execution on December 2, 1859, galvanized the nation.

Abolitionists celebrated him as a martyr to the anti-slavery cause, while some whites formed militias to guard against slave uprisings of the kind he had hoped to foment. On the 150th anniversary of Brown’s execution, award-winning author and Harvard professor John Stauffer will discuss the meaning and legacy of John Brown in his own time and in ours. His talk will take place on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, at 6 p.m. in the Abiel Smith School Gallery of the Museum of African American History. The talk is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on Boston African American National Historic Site, please call 617-742-5415 or visit www.nps.gov/boaf. For more information on the Museum of African American History, please visit www.maah.org.

Oratorical Contest at Frederick Douglass NHS (Washington, D.C.) — The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site will hold its annual oratorical contest December 3 through 5, 2009. In this competition for students throughout the nation in elementary, junior high, and senior high school, participants will memorize and deliver a speech by abolitionist, orator, and statesman Frederick Douglass. Prizes will be awarded for the top contestant in each category. For more information, please contact the site at 202-426-5961.

Holiday Open House at Jean Lafitte

(Louisiana) — The Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (www.nps.gov/jela) will host its annual holiday open house, with music from local choirs, demonstrations by local artists and artisans, and hands-on holiday crafts, from 6 to 8 p.m.

on Friday, December 4. Upstairs from the center, in the town library, there will be more crafts, holiday treats, and Santa Claus himself. Free.

For more information, please call 985-448-1375.

Groundbreaking for Tamiami Trail Bridge Project

(Florida) — A groundbreaking ceremony for the Tamiami Trail Bridge Project will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2009. The project includes a one-mile bridge and other roadway modifications that will allow increased water flows to Everglades National Park. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District is constructing the project. Partners include the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), the State of Florida, and the South Florida Water Management District. The groundbreaking ceremony, expected to last one hour, will be held at the S-334/356 structure on the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) in Miami-Dade County. Invited speakers include DOI Secretary Ken Salazar and other representatives of the federal and state governments. For more information, please contact Linda Friar, Everglades National Park, at 305-242-7714 and Susan Jackson, USACE, at 904-232-1953.

For information online, please visit www.evergladesplan.org or www.saj.usace.army.mil and click “Tamiami Trail” on the right.

Holiday Celebration at Bent’s Old Fort

(Colorado) — At Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, December 4 to 5, witness the joys, pleasures, and pastimes of the 1840s at an isolated trading post. The spirit of the season comes alive with wagon rides, games, toy making, and other holiday festivities. The event begins with candlelight tours of the fort on Friday evening, December 4 and continues through Saturday, December 5 to culminate in another evening of candlelight tours. For reservations for the candlelight tours, please call 719-383-5026. For more information, please call 719-383-5010 or visit www.nps.gov/beol.

Celebrate “A Christmas Past” in West Branch, Iowa

(Iowa) — West Branch, Iowa, the birthplace of Herbert Hoover, will host events for “A Christmas Past” from Friday, December 4 until Sunday, December 6. Main Street West Branch will start the celebration with a tree lighting ceremony as the West Branch High School Choir sings on the Village Green at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 4. On Friday and Saturday evenings, horse-drawn wagon rides start at 5:30 p.m. from the visitor center of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. The last wagon rides begin at 8 p.m. The Herbert Hoover Birthplace Cottage, Blacksmith Shop, Schoolhouse, and Friends Meetinghouse will be open to visitors on Friday and Saturday nights until 8:30 p.m. Living history interpreters will lead ornament-making activities at the visitor center from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum displays Christmas trees in its annual holiday exhibit, which this year features 20 decorated trees based on the life and travels of Herbert Hoover. Free weekend performances at the presidential library and museum include stage presentations by The Young Footliters and Christmas carols by the Uncalled Four quartet and the West Branch Community Choir. On Sunday afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m., the presidential library and museum will hold its Holiday Open House, featuring refreshments and visits with Santa Claus and Aunt Holly. For more information, please contact Adam Prato at 319-643-7855.

LBJ Boyhood Home by Lamplight

(Texas) — On December 5, 12, and 19, visitors can take lamplight tours of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Boyhood Home in Johnson City. Prior to the arrival of electricity, Christmas was celebrated with the use of lamplight.

For more information, please contact Liz Lindig at 830-868-7128 ext. 231.

Events at Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites (New York) — On Saturday, December 5, 2009, there will be holiday open houses at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (Val-Kill). The open house at the Home of FDR runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be free guided tours all day, on which visitors can see Christmas traditions of the Roosevelt family. From 2 to 4 p.m., FDR will read passages from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Val-Kill will be open from 4 to 7 p.m. Free evening tours will be offered of the special place where Eleanor Roosevelt shared her favorite holiday. Visitors can enjoy music and refreshments at the Stone Cottage courtesy of the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt Historical Association.

At the Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Education Center, from noon to 5 p.m.

on Saturday, December 5, 2009, visitors can attend the fourth annual Children’s Reading Festival, with talks and book signings presented by the FDR Presidential Library, the National Park Service, and Teaching the Hudson Valley. There will be free refreshments and activities, including photos with Santa, holiday cards for the troops, and music by Dog on Fleas.

Please call 845-486-7745 for a schedule. Also on December 5, the FDR Presidential Library and Museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., decorated and free all day. Finally, on Saturday, December 12, the Vanderbilt Mansion will hold an open house from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission will be free. For more information, please contact the National Park Service at 845-229-9115.

Prospects of Peace: A Soldier’s Prayer

(West Virginia) — Visitors are invited to join this special program at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park on December 5 and 6, 2009, in the Lower Town District. The program focuses on Yuletide 1864, when soldiers at Harpers Ferry attempted to create their own version of Christmas at the front while recalling happier ones at home. With Abraham Lincoln re-elected, the nation looked toward a new year, the conclusion of war, prospects of peace, and freedom for four million enslaved African Americans. Programs and activities will feature local citizens and soldiers preparing for the Yuletide, a Civil-War-style Santa Claus dispersing presents to the soldiers, a Victorian Cotillion, Yuletide confections, and special guided walking tours. Activities on Saturday noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please contact the information center at 304-535-6029.

Cultural Holiday Festival at Oxon Hill Farm

(Maryland) — The National Park Service will host a cultural holiday festival for the entire family at Oxon Hill Farm, located in Oxon Cove Park, on Sunday, December 6, 2009, from noon to 3 p.m. This year’s festival will feature living history presentations by interpreters representing African, Native American, and European cultures that influenced the area. Interpreters will demonstrate spinning wool into yarn for practical gifts such as gloves and hats. There will be an African American quilt on display, a Piscataway Indian exhibit, music performed by the Bishop McNamara Madrigals, light refreshments, and activities featuring arts and crafts. Visitors can ride in a horse-drawn wagon, participate in cider pressing and 19th-century parlor games, and listen to storytelling and music. The National Children’s Museum staff will coordinate activities for children. For more information, please contact Marilyn Cohen-Brown at 301-839-1176.

Winter Solstice Guest Artist Show and Sale

(California) — On Sunday, December 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., join the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area for a full day of hand-crafted art, music, storytelling, and family fun. Purchase beautiful and unique Native American art for the holidays and meet local artists.

All ages are welcome. The event will be held at the scenic Satwiwa Culture Center. For more information, please contact Lauren Newman at 805-370-2343.

Pearl Harbor Survivors and Friends Memorial Service at Boston NHP

(Massachusetts) — Boston National Historical Park will host a memorial service on the fantail of the World War II destroyer USS Cassin Young in the Charlestown Navy Yard on Monday, December 7, 2009, from 12:30 to 1 p.m.

The service will commemorate the 1941 surprise attack by the Japanese on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. For more information on Boston National Historical Park, please call 617-242-5601 or visit www.nps.gov/bost.

Fifth Annual CVNPA Bids for Kids Online Auction

(Ohio) — Join Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association (CVNPA) for the fifth annual CVNPA Bids for Kids Online Auction. You can purchase holiday gifts while supporting environmental education. All proceeds of Bids for Kids will go to benefit urban school children through scholarship and educational programs at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC). The online auction begins Friday, November 20, 2009, at 9 a.m.

and continues through Monday, December 7, 2009, at 8 p.m. You can get involved by donating an item, asking local businesses to donate items, becoming an auction sponsor, and bidding high and often. For more information, please contact Lisa Meranti at 330-657-2909 ext. 136 or lmeranti@cvnpa.org.

Stellar December Programs at Gulf Islands National Seashore

(Mississippi) — On Friday, December 11 and Saturday, December 12, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., visitors can spend time looking upward during the “Wonders of the Night Sky” program. The constellations of Orion, Taurus, Canis Major, and the Gemini twins should all be visible, along with deep space objects. Astronomers and telescopes from Pontchartrain Astronomy Society will set up at the campground amphitheater. On Sunday, December 13, at 2 p.m., join astronomer Jack Huerkamp for “The Telescope as a Time Machine.”

Astronomy is history. Because light takes time to travel from one place to another, we see objects not as they are now but as they were at the time when they released the light that has traveled to us. This program will explore the universe and is geared towards grade school children. Meet at the William M. Colmer Visitor Center. For more information, please contact Susan Blair at 228-230-4106.

Holidays in South Louisiana

(Louisiana) — Celebrate the holidays south-Louisiana style at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (www.nps.gov/jela). It’s an 1800s holiday at the historic Malus-Beauregard House at Chalmette Battlefield.

The 1830s-era home will come to life with period furnishings, holiday decorations, and living history experts portraying the families who lived there. Visitors can join the fun by making traditional decorations for the house’s Christmas tree and their own homes. This event is free and runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, December 12 & 13. For more information, please call 504-589-2636 ext. 1.

Biscayne Gears Up for 10th Anniversary Season of Family Fun Fest

(Florida) — The 10th season of Biscayne National Park’s popular Family Fun Fest series kicks off Sunday, December 13, 2009, at the park’s Dante Fascell Visitor Center. The event is free and takes place from 1 to 4 p.m.

on the second Sunday of every month from December through April, with this year’s Family Fun Fest starting one month earlier than the festivities of the previous nine years. Every month, participants receive a passport to get punched as they complete each of five activities on the grounds around the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. Activities include games, science experiments, presentations, and craft projects. After collecting all five punches, children earn a specially designed button to remember the day’s lessons. Each Family Fun Fest event focuses on a particular theme. The 2009-2010 season will feature “Our Changing World” (December 13), “America’s Best Idea” (January 10), “BioBlitz: For the Love of Diversity”

(February 14), “Liter-a-Sea: Oceans of Knowledge” (March 14), and “The Best Family Fun Fest EVER!!” (April 11). In “The Best Family Fun Fest EVER,”

the park will bring back the best activities from the past decade, as determined by participants’ nominations and votes. For more information, please contact Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144 ext. 007.

NPS Commemorates 134th Birthday of Dr. Carter G. Woodson (Washington, D.C.) — The National Park Service will commemorate the 134th anniversary of the birthday of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the second African American to graduate from Harvard University with a Ph.D. in history, on Saturday, December 19, 2009, at 6 p.m. The commemoration will take place at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., located at 801 K Street, NW, at Mount Vernon Square. The program will feature a tribute to Dr. Woodson with remarks by National Park Service officials and Dr. John Fleming, president of the Association for the Study of African Life and History, which Dr. Woodson founded. A holiday reception will follow the program.

For more information, please contact Robert Parker at 202-673-2402.

Celebrate a Victorian Holiday at the Frederick Douglass NHS (Washington, D.C.) — Join the National Park Service on Saturday, December

19 at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

to celebrate a Victorian holiday at historic Cedar Hill. Visitors can step back in time to experience how Frederick Douglass and his family celebrated Christmas. Children of all ages can enjoy craft workshops, create Victorian holiday greeting cards, and sing old-fashioned Christmas carols.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Brayden Paynter at 202-426-5961.

Choregraphie Antique at Hampton National Historic Site

(Maryland) — During the holiday season, the Ridgely family would have attended and hosted many parties, dances, and balls. The Great Hall at Hampton Mansion, which lent itself to dancing, was especially suited for the line dances that were popular during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Witness 19th-century dancing on Sunday, December 20, 2009, at 2 p.m. in the Orangery. This special performance by Choregraphie Antique, the dance history ensemble of Goucher College, will feature dances from the Regency period (1800-1825). Audience members should come prepared to dust off their dancing shoes, as the costumed dancers of Choregraphie Antique encourage audience participation. For more information, contact Kirby Shedlowski at 410-823-1309 ext. 251.

Yosemite Christmas Bird Count

(California) — Attend the Yosemite Christmas Bird Count on December 20, 2009, with binoculars ready to locate avian diversity. In 2008, participants identified 3,028 birds of 65 species. To register, please contact the park’s ornithologist by e-mail at yose_birds@nps.gov or by phone at 209-379-1435. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Holiday Concert to Feature Historic Pipe Organ at St. Paul’s Church (New York) — Dr. Jan Piet Knijff will perform classical music, including some traditional carols and holiday favorites, on the historic 1833 pipe organ in St. Paul’s Church at 2 p.m. on December 20. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208.

Usher in the Holidays Traditionally

(New York) — Children of all ages are invited to a family holiday program at St. Paul’s Church from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 22, 23, 26, 29, and 31. The program will feature historic games, activities, music, and demonstrations that reflect how colonial and Revolutionary War-era families would have entertained themselves during the holidays. This special holiday offering by St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site is designed for children on vacation from school as well as for adults. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208.

Celebrate Kwanzaa at African Burial Ground (New York) — Kwanzaa, based on the Nguzo Saba (seven guiding principles), honors African heritage and is celebrated from December 26 to January 1.

On December 29, African Burial Ground National Monument will hold a Kwanzaa celebration from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208.

New Year’s Open House at Taft Birthplace

(Ohio) — William Howard Taft National Historic Site will bring the holiday season to a close on Sunday, January 3, when the Friends of the William Howard Taft Birthplace host the annual New Year’s Open House. From noon to

4 p.m., the public is invited to visit the house and enjoy holiday refreshments, just as the guests to the Taft house would have done in the 1850s at the birthplace of the nation’s 27th president. During the traditional Taft open house, William Howard’s parents would receive callers and serve cake and chocolate. The event is free and begins at the William Howard Taft National Historic Site. For more information, please contact E. Ray Henderson at 513-684-3262.

Interns Will Help Improve Safety at Parks (Washington, D.C.) — The National Park Service Division of Risk Management and the Student Conservation Association have established a summer internship program that provides students with opportunities to support efforts to prevent injuries in parks and provides parks with a cost-effective way to enhance visitor safety programs. The National Park Service encourages parks with an interest in strengthening their injury prevention programs to apply. For more information, please contact Gabrielle Fisher at Gabrielle_Fisher@nps.gov or 202-513-7160.

Visitor Center Gallery Features Hanging Out in Biscayne National Park

(Florida) — Through February 15, 2010, the Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery at Biscayne National Park will display Hanging Out in Biscayne National Park, an exhibition of photographs by Miami’s Brian Trainor.

Trainor, who has practiced photography for almost 30 years, will look at the national park from an unexpected angle or will capture a subject such as debris on the park’s shore. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144 ext. 007.

Lichen Study

(California) — Yosemite has set forth to document its lichen flora, which have never been comprehensively surveyed in the park. There are probably more than 500 lichen species in the park, but prior to the Yosemite Unknown Flora project, fewer than 100 were known. In September 2009, as part of Yosemite’s first Lichen Blitz, 10 leading lichen taxonomists from Austria, Germany, Sweden, and the United States helped National Park Service botanists document lichens in a wide range of interesting habits. Please see http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/lichen.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

YosemiteScience on Twitter

(California) — In 2009, Yosemite National Park launched a Twitter site called YosemiteScience that contributes daily postings from the park’s Resources Management & Science Division. Topics include archeology, air quality, vegetation, wildlife management, and fire management. In three months from its start, the site garnered more than 300 visitors. This is one of two official Yosemite Twitter sites. Access the site at http://twitter.com/YosemiteScience. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

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

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

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

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

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Parktips – October 2009

Blog Master — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:35:21 +0000

National Park Service

Parktips – October 2009

Cape Lookout Lighthouse 150th Anniversary Juried Art Contest, Exhibition, and Sale (North Carolina) — As of September 29, 2009, there is still time to enter art and photos into the juried art exhibition to be held at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum from October 10 until November 1. Artwork must be registered on or before Monday, October 5. (Registration lasts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) All entries must include Cape Lookout Lighthouse. The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center will be open for viewing the exhibition Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please contact Wouter Ketel at 252/728-2250 ext. 3005 or Karen Amspacher of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center at 252/728-1500, 252/723-0982, or kwamspacher@ec.rr.com.

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site Celebrates 20th Anniversary

(Missouri) — The legislation establishing the site was signed on October 2, 1989, and on Saturday, October 3, 2009, the site will celebrate its emerald anniversary between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Events include presentations about the site’s establishment, the restoration of the historic structures there, and the exhibit development. For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/ulsg or contact Pam Sanfilippo at

314/842-3298 ext. 224 or Pam_Sanfilippo@nps.gov.

Pioneer Day at the Colbert Ferry Visitor Center (Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee) — The Tombigbee Pioneer Group will perform living history demonstrations that show the challenges faced and creative solutions developed by those Americans who lived in the area from the 1700s to 1840. The demonstrations will take place at the Colbert Ferry Visitor Center (located at milepost 327 of the Natchez Trace Parkway, near Cherokee, Alabama) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 3. The public is invited to watch pioneer activities that may include corn-shuck doll making, basket weaving, and leatherworking. Children are invited to participate by dressing up in pioneer clothes and trying these activities firsthand. This program is free. For more information, please contact Amy Genke at 662/680-4053 or amy_genke@nps.gov.

Plein Aire at Saratoga

(New York) — On October 3 on the battlefield, join in open-air painting of the park’s pristine lands or enjoy a show of artworks from past plein aire sessions. An orientation for painters will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the visitor center. This free event ends at 4 p.m. and will be held on Sunday, October 4 if it rains. For more information, please contact the Information Desk at 518/664-9821 ext. 224.

Gulf Islands National Seashore October 2009 Programs (Florida and Mississippi) — On Sunday, October 4 at 2 p.m., participants will learn about the day-to-day life of a soldier stationed on Ship Island during the Civil War, with emphasis on the African American soldiers stationed there. Learn the Civil War rifle drill, see items used by soldiers of the day, and march into battle against the enemy. This one-hour program targets ages nine to 12, but everyone is welcome. Meet at Pavilion #4. On Sunday, October 11 at 2 p.m., a presentation about weapons used by infantry and cavalry during the Civil War will be conducted by Civil War re-enactor Curtis Makamson. Historic replicas, including copies of muskets, pistols, and edged carbines, will be featured during the presentation, which will be held in the auditorium of the visitor center.

On Sunday, October 18 at 2 p.m., attend a workshop on orienteering. The workshop will cover basic map reading skills, GPS systems, and compass skills, and participants will put their learning to use on an orienteering adventure. Meet at Pavilion #1, and bring a compass if you have one.

Finally, the salt marsh is home to many species of animals and plants. On Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m., learn how marsh plants provide the foundation for a healthy habitat and how plants and animals have adapted to a challenging environment. This easy program, Marsh Walk, will last for about an hour and will meet at the visitor center. For more information, please contact Susan Blair at 228/230-4106.

7th Annual Fall Harvest Celebration

(New Jersey) — From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, the Northern New Jersey Unit of the Herb Society of America presents its seventh annual Fall Harvest Celebration at the Wick Garden in Morristown National Historical Park. Volunteers from the Herb Society will give tours of the 18th-century-style Wick Garden. They also will sell apples, flavored vinegars, dried herbs, baked goods, condiments, wreaths, and homemade herbal crafts. All proceeds benefit the Wick Garden. The event will be held rain or shine, but in case of rain, the sales will be in Morristown NHP’s Jockey Hollow Visitor Center. For more information, please contact Elise Cleva at 202/208-6843.

Celebrate the 104th Anniversary of Practical Flight

(Ohio) — On October 5, 1905, after much experimentation and many flights, Wilbur Wright flew the longest flight to date, 39 minutes and 24 miles, circling Huffman Prairie more than 29 times at an average speed of 38 miles per hour and giving birth to a new age of aviation. The Wright brothers’

Wright Flyer III became on that day the world’s first practical airplane.

Come to Huffman Prairie Flying Field on October 5 and watch Mark Dusenberry fly a replica of the Wright Flyer III that carried Wilbur Wright 104 years ago. This free event starts at 9:15 a.m. and lasts to 11 a.m.; the field opens at 8 a.m. No seating is available, and in case of inclement weather, the flight will be cancelled. For more information, please contact the National Park Service at 937/225-7705 or 937/425-0008.

Gulf Islands National Seashore Announces Presentation on 16th-Century Shipwrecks for Hispanic Heritage Month (Florida and Mississippi) — There will be a special presentation on 16th -century shipwrecks of Pensacola Bay for Hispanic Heritage Month at Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center in the auditorium on Thursday, October 8 at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to join Irina Franklin of the University of West Florida and Florida Public Archaeology Network for a free program focusing on two shipwrecks in Pensacola Bay from Tristan de Luna’s 1559 fleet. For more information, please contact Gail Bishop at 850/934-2618 or Stanley Lawhead at 850/934-2629.

“Battle Road Heroes” at Minute Man National Historical Park

(Massachusetts) — On Saturday, October 10, join us for a dramatic program, “Battle Road Heroes,” at the Hartwell Tavern Historical Area. Walk down a candlelit path to the past and listen to the personal stories of residents who lived along the Battle Road on April 19, 1775. Join Captain William Smith, the Hartwells, the Lincoln Minute Men, drovers, musicians, and His Majesty’s soldiers for this special evening of theater and history.

Parking for Hartwell Tavern is on Route 2A in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Tours leave every 15 minutes from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Admission is $5 per person or $10 per family, and proceeds benefit the Friends of Minute Man National Park. For more information, please contact Lou Sideris at

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

The Emancipation Tour

(Massachusetts) — The Emancipation Tour (Saturday, October 10 at 11 a.m.) is a guided walk through the Back Bay and South End neighborhoods of Boston. The tour highlights twelve statues, sculptures, and monuments that

commemorate people and events relevant to African American history. Tour

participants will be encouraged to reflect on the ways in which these people and events remain relevant today. Free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, the tour is just over 1 ¾ miles and is approximately two hours long, so wear comfortable shoes. The tour will start in front of the Wendell Phillips statue in the Boston Public Garden at the corner of Boylston and Charles streets. The tour will end in the South End in front of the Harriet Tubman statue at Columbus and Warren avenues. For more information on Boston African American National Historic Site, please call 617/742-5415 or visit www.nps.gov/boaf.

Big Thicket Day

(Texas) — Attention Big Thicket Alumni! Please come and celebrate the 35th anniversary of the creation of the Big Thicket National Preserve and the grand opening of the preserve’s new headquarters facility. Big Thicket Day will be held on October 10 at the visitor center/HQ complex north of Kountze, Texas. For more information, please contact Chris Peapenburg at 409/951-6802.

Dr. John Y. Simon Day and Ulysses S. Grant Lecture

(Missouri) — Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site is holding Dr. John Y. Simon Day and its first Ulysses S. Grant Lecture on Saturday, October 10. Dr. Simon—professor, author, editor of The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, and executive director of the U.S. Grant Association—passed away in July 2008. His work was indispensable in the establishment and development of the national historic site. Frank Williams, president of the board of the Grant Association and retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, will speak about Dr. Simon’s legacy. Dr. John Marszalek, editor of the Grant papers and executive director of the association, will give the keynote lecture, which is entitled “Ulysses S. Grant and William T.

Sherman, A Decisive Friendship.” For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/ulsg or contact Pam Sanfilippo, Site Historian, at 314/842-3298 ext. 224 or Pam_Sanfilippo@nps.gov.

Fur Trade Encampment at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site

(Colorado) — The park’s main occasion for living history again takes place in the fall. This year’s event, on October 10, celebrates the traders, trappers, and tribes that participated in the fur trade at Bent’s Fort.

Their camps, set up near the fort, will be open for touring. All together, over 50 living-history volunteers bring the post back to life during this major event. For more information, please call 719/383-5023.

Run and Bike at LBJ

(Texas) — Two special, family-friendly activities occur on the weekend of October 10 and 11 at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. The park’s Friends group is sponsoring a family fun run that begins at 9 a.m.

on Saturday, October 10 and a bike tour hosted by Luci Baines Johnson, President Johnson’s younger daughter, on Sunday, October 11 at 2 p.m. To register for either or both, go to www.friendsoflbjnationalpark.org. For more information, please call 830/868-7128 ext. 244.

Natchez Trace Parkway Hosts Meriwether Lewis Arts and Craft Festival (Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee) — The parkway will host the annual Meriwether Lewis Arts and Craft Festival at the Meriwether Lewis Monument Site (Mile Post 385.9). The festival is sponsored by the Maury County Arts Guild and will take place on October 10 and 11 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Visitors can shop for traditional arts and crafts, and National Park Service staff will be available to answer questions and present formal programs on the life of Meriwether Lewis. Programs will be offered at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. each day. Eastern National’s bookstore will be open in the log cabin and will offer educational materials on the parkway and Meriwether Lewis. Parking and admission are free. Parking is available at the Meriwether Lewis Site, and overflow parking is in specified areas on Highway 20. Shuttle vans will be provided to help transport visitors to and from parking areas. For more information, please contact staff at the visitor center at 662/680-4027 or amy_genke@nps.gov.

Honor Eleanor Roosevelt

(New York) — The year 2009 witnesses the 125th anniversary of Eleanor Roosevelt’s birth and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the national historic site that bears her name. Participate in a special graveside ceremony on Eleanor Roosevelt’s birthday, October 11, at 3 p.m.

at the Home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. For more information, please contact Fran Macsali-Urbin at 845/229-2501.

Edison’s Laboratory Complex Opens

(New Jersey) — The National Park Service is welcoming visitors to the new Thomas Edison National Historical Park. A variety of special programs and events, free of charge and open to all, will be held October 10 through October 12. Festivities will take place at the Laboratory Complex on Main Street and the Glenmont Estate in Llewellyn Park from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

each day, with extended hours on Saturday until 8 p.m. Superintendent Greg Marshall shared that “[t]he original music recording studio, Thomas Edison’s private laboratory, and a photography studio will be open to the

public for the first time in the history of the site.” The original

furnishings have been moved back into many rooms, and the extensive museum collections will be available for all to see, hear, and experience.

Installation of a new elevator and stair tower adjacent to the main laboratory building allows public access to the upper floors of the laboratory, which feature new exhibits. For more information, please contact Terri Jung at 973/324-9974 ext. 1.

Grand Canyon National Park to Celebrate Earth Science Week

(Arizona) — Grand Canyon National Park will celebrate Earth Science Week by offering a variety of special programs and activities during the week of October 11 to 17. Special ranger programs on the park’s geology and other earth-science topics will be offered, and exhibit panels from “Mapping the Canyon,” an exhibit developed by Grand Canyon Association, will be on display in the lobby of the park’s headquarters. The week’s events will culminate in a special geology field trip on Desert View Drive led by research geologist George Billingsley of the U.S. Geological Survey on Saturday, October 17. To learn more about Earth Science Week at Grand Canyon National Park, please contact Allyson Mathis, Science and Education Outreach Coordinator, at 928/638-7923 or visit http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/earth-sci-week.htm.

Teacher Institute at Acadia’s Schoodic Education and Research Center

(Maine) — Teachers of grades four through eight will join park staff for a two-day institute on October 13 and 14. They will learn how to integrate field research activities into classroom curricula using the Schoodic Education Adventure residential program. At the same time, they will investigate opportunities to collect field data, apply it to classroom lessons across the curricula, and connect it to real-world applications in America’s national parks. For more information, contact Kate Petrie at 207/288-8808.

John Brown Sesquicentennial Commemoration (West Virginia) — From October 16 to 18, three days of public-education events will focus on the 36 hours of John Brown’s raid, which took place at Harpers Ferry 150 years ago. The weekend will include music, drama, scholarship, living history, activities for families and youth, and ranger-conducted programs. There will be book signings, a jazz show produced for the sesquicentennial, and a walk in the footsteps of John Brown and his raiders to which descendants of Harpers Ferry residents, militia, marines, raiders, and Brown himself have been invited. Maximum crowds are expected, and all media personnel will need to have a press ID to gain access for coverage. For more information, please contact Marsha B. Wassel at 304/535-6748.

John Brown’s Boston

(Massachusetts) — On Saturday, October 17, join a park ranger from Boston African American National Historic Site on a 90-minute walking tour focusing on John Brown’s connections to Boston. Marking the 150th anniversary of Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, this 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. The tour will start at 11 a.m. at the Samuel Adams statue in front of Faneuil Hall in Boston and conclude at the Museum of African American History’s African Meeting House on Beacon Hill. The tour is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on Boston African American National Historic Site, please call 617/742-5415 or visit www.nps.gov/boaf.

Candlelight Tour at Saratoga

(New York) — Feel the welcoming glow of candlelight as members of the Old Saratoga Historical Association in period costume, park staff, and park volunteers guide you through General Philip Schuyler’s 1777 country house.

Light refreshments and period music follow the tours, which will be given from 6 to 9 p.m. on October 17 at the Schuyler House. The tours are free, and it is recommended that you dress for the weather and bring flashlights for the walk back to your vehicle. For more information, please contact the Information Desk at 518/664-9821 ext. 224.

Oneida Indian Nation Living History at Muhlenberg Brigade

(Pennsylvania) — Come to Valley Forge National Historical Park on Saturday, October 17 to see skirmish re-enactments, camp life, and cooking and artillery demonstrations. These activities are tentatively scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, please contact Bill Troppman at 610/783-1075.

Shenandoah National Park’s Annual Wilderness Weekend

(Virginia) — Celebrate America’s wilderness heritage on the third weekend of October. One of the largest wilderness areas in the Eastern United States, Shenandoah’s wilderness offers opportunities for solitude, scenic views, wildlife sightings, and glimpses into the past. Experience Shenandoah’s wilderness by hiking through it or looking into it from Skyline Drive. Special events will take place at Byrd Visitor Center, milepost 51 on Skyline Drive. Shenandoah National Park Trail Crews and Potomac Appalachian Trail Club volunteers will share their expertise in the traditional tools used to maintain trails in wilderness. Visitors can try their hands at using these tools and gain insight into the important role that trail maintenance plays in protecting wilderness for future generations. Short talks by rangers during the day will explore the history and values of Shenandoah’s wilderness. For more information, please contact Laura Buchheit at 540/999-3500 ext. 3723.

Artist Patricia Rottino Cummins at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

(Iowa) — Painter Patricia Rottino Cummins will be the Artist-in-Residence at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site from October 17 to 24. Ms.

Cummins will be available to discuss her artwork with park visitors during her residency. Her hours may vary, so please call ahead. On Saturday, October 24, Ms. Cummins will give a presentation. This free program starts at 10 a.m. at the visitor center. Ms. Cummins has been an art educator for over 30 years in Miami Dade public schools. Her works of art are inspired by local landscapes, as well as by the vistas she has seen and photographed during her many travels and National Park residencies. For more information, please contact Adam Prato at 319/643-7855.

Women of Valley Forge

(Pennsylvania) — On Thursday, October 22, the Friends of Valley Forge Park Speaker Series will feature Dr. Nancy Loane, author of Following the Drum:

Women of the Valley Forge Encampment. Dr. Loane will speak at the Washington Memorial Chapel Library. For more information, please contact Barb Pollarine at 610/783-1032.

From Slavery to Freedom

(Massachusetts) — Throughout the day on Thursday, October 22, from 10 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m., guided tours of the historic Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House will focus on some of its early occupants, from those born into slavery to the abolitionist Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his friends. Admission is $3; free for ages 15 and under. Presented by Longfellow National Historic Site Park Rangers. For more information, please contact Jim Shea at 617/876-4491.

Underground Railroad-Network to Freedom Workshop

(Massachusetts) — On Friday, October 23, the Massachusetts Historical Society with the National Park Service (Longfellow National Historic Site and Boston African American National Historic Site) will host a half-day workshop on how historic sites can become part of the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad-Network to Freedom. From 9 to 10:30 a.m., Sheri Jackson, NPS/Northeast Regional Coordinator of the Underground Railroad-Network to Freedom, will lead a workshop on how organizations can document their sites’ connection to the Underground Railroad and apply for status in the network. From 10:45 to noon, workshop participants will receive an introduction to original documents and online resources accessible through two websites maintained by the Massachusetts Historical

Society: African Americans and the End of Slavery in Massachusetts and Images of the Antislavery Movement in Massachusetts. This workshop will take place at the Massachusetts Historical Society at 1154 Boylston Street

in Boston. There is no fee for the workshop, but pre-registration is

required. Please contact education@masshist.org or call 617/646-0519 by October 20.

Reading from Harriet Jacobs

(Massachusetts) — On Friday, October 23 at 6 p.m., enjoy a staged reading of a portion of a new play about abolitionist, fugitive slave, and author Harriet Jacobs. Following this free performance, join playwright Lydia Diamond (Boston University) and scholar David Blight (Yale University) in a discussion about slave narratives and how drama can be employed to communicate history. Presented by the Underground Railway Theater. Hosted at the C. Walsh Theater, Suffolk University, 55 Temple Street, Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, please contact Jim Shea at

617/876-4491 or visit http://www.abolitionisminblackandwhite.com.

Abolitionism in Black & White

(Massachusetts) — This day-long symposium (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) on Saturday, October 24 consists of discussions and lectures led by leading scholars and focuses on the anti-slavery community in Boston and Cambridge.

The program is geared towards teachers, students, public historians, and the general public. Limited seating. $25 registration fee required; register online at http://www.abolitionisminblackandwhite.com. Hosted at the C. Walsh Theater, Suffolk University, 55 Temple Street, Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, please contact Jim Shea at 617/876-4491.

Voices of the Night

(Massachusetts) — This special, themed tour for Halloween focuses on 19th-century America’s fascination with death and mourning. Hear why Longfellow believed that “all houses wherein men have lived and died are

haunted houses”—and how he tried to contact spirits. For ages 16 and up;

$3 admission. Presented by Rob Velella, Park Ranger. Thursday, October 29 and Friday, October 30 at 6 p.m. RSVP required. 617/876-4491.

Freedom: A History of US

(Missouri) — This exhibit is on display September 15 to October 14 at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in the classroom of the visitor center. The Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History, with funding from General Electric, produced the exhibit. Supplemented by items from the collection at Ulysses S. Grant NHS, the exhibit examines the words of men and women involved in the fight for freedom and gives insight into the struggles of the Revolution, the fight for abolition, the Civil War, and emancipation. For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/ulsg or contact Karen Maxville at 314/842-3298 ext. 225 or Karen_Maxville@nps.gov.

HawkWatch Tracks Raptor Migration over Acadia National Park

(Maine) — For the past 13 years, park rangers and volunteers have staffed the HawkWatch program atop Cadillac Mountain, the highest mountain along the U.S. East Coast. The 14th season is now underway as we identify and count the number of raptors passing overhead. Annual counts help scientists understand the status of the raptor population—if the numbers of a species are increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable in the environment. The public is invited to participate from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

every day through October 14, 200 yards down the North Ridge Trail. A weekly status update is available at http://www.nps.gov/acad/naturescience/hawkwatch-update.htm. For more information, please contact Sonya Berger at 207/288-8803.

Spirit of the Mountains Photo Contest

(California) — From October 1 to October 31, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area will accept submissions of digital and print photographs for its annual Spirit of the Mountains photo contest. Amateur photographers can submit photographs in a number of categories. This contest has inspired many regional amateur photographers from the Southern California area to explore and discover new special places within the Santa Monica Mountains. One past winner reflected, “Even though the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is very close to a well-populated, urban environment, there are many places—especially on foggy days like this—where you feel like you are thousands of miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city, where you’re more likely to see a deer or coyote than another person.” For information on past winners and for directions on how to get involved in the contest, please see http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/samo/photo/. For more information, please contact Lauren Newman at 805/370-2343.

“Schoolboat” Tours

(Louisiana) — At Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, admission to all sites is free. At the Acadian Cultural Center, located at

501 Fisher Road in Lafayette and able to be reached at 337/232-0789, explore Bayou Vermilion on an old-time “schoolboat” with a National Park Service ranger. Boat tours cast off Tuesday through Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

now through November 28. Call for tour prices and reservations. More information is available at www.nps.gov/jela.

“Manzanar: Light and Shadows” Showcases Contemporary Photos by Tom Clayton

(California) — At nearly any event or program at Manzanar, you may see volunteer Tom Clayton capturing the moment for posterity. Since 2003, Tom and his wife, Mary Lou, have volunteered at Manzanar National Historic Site. Tom has taken more than a thousand photos of key moments and milestones at Manzanar. His photos have captured the restoration of the camp auditorium, the reconstruction of Guard Tower #8, numerous archeological digs, and dozens of special programs and events, including the annual Manzanar Pilgrimage. In addition to recording the changing character of this site, Tom also volunteered to photograph the pre- and post-war works of Manzanar’s master stonemason Ryozo Kado in Los Angeles.

From October 1 through December 2, 43 of Tom’s photos will be on exhibit on the stage of the Manzanar Interpretive Center. The interpretive center is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. through October 31 and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily thereafter. For more information, please contact Alisa Lynch at 760/878-2194 ext. 2711.

Fall Foliage Excursions at Steamtown

(Pennsylvania) — Steamtown National Historic Site plans to transport visitors through some of the most beautiful fall scenery in the Pocono Mountains. During October, steam-powered train trips will leave the downtown railroad yard for three popular destinations. For more information, please contact Mark Brennan at 570/340-5244.

2009 Schoodic Education Adventure Season Underway at Acadia

(Maine) — Fourth- through eighth-grade students from all over Maine are participating in the new season of the Schoodic Education Adventure, the residential program at Acadia National Park. Curriculum-based classroom activities and hands-on field experience offer invaluable learning in a unique coastal setting. For more information, please visit http://www.nps.gov/acad/forteachers/seaprogram.htm or contact Kate Petrie at 207/288-8808.

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Lessons From Andrew Sullivan’s Pot Bust

Blog Master — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:03:39 +0000

Gawker , citing a report on the blog of Massachusetts Lawyer’s Weekly , notes that blogger/journalist Andrew Sullivan was cited for pot possession in July at the the Cape Cod National Seashore.

My Tags: Law, Massachusetts

Buckrun Outdoors » Massachusetts

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