NATIONAL PARKS BLOG

Monday is Independence Day and we’re all headed to one of our nation’s nearly 400 national parks to celebrate! How about you? Where are you headed? If you haven’t yet decided where you’re going, then today is your lucky day because we have some suggestions for you. Whether you’re interested in interactive educational activities, musical concerts, or in search of an impressive fireworks display close to home, round up family and friends and head to a national park to celebrate our nation’s history in the places where it all happened.

Here are 10 of the National Park Foundation’s recommendations for celebrating America’s 235th year:

COLORADO – Colorado National Monument – Come on out on July 4 and watch in amazement as rock climbers scale the Independence Monument and commemorate Independence Day by raising the American flag on the top of the monument, the tallest free-standing rock formation in the park. Enjoy patriotic music resonating throughout the canyons. Ice cream social to follow. Event starts at 10:30a.m.MT.

KENTUCKY – Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park – Gather round to hear Saxton’s Cornet Band in the park on July 4 at 11:00a.m.ET.

MARYLAND – Antietam National Battlefield – Treat yourself to the beautiful sounds of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra’s “Salute to Independence” concert on July 2. Concert starts at 7:30p.m.ET. Fireworks at approximately 9:45p.m.ET.

MASSACHUSETTS – Adams National Historical Park –Get the inside scoop on the political climate 235 years ago! Come on down to Adams National Historical Park for “Down and Dirty Politics: 1776 Style” to learn how a strange, secret alliance of upscale gentlemen and rowdy street organizers bought about the Declaration of Independence. 1:00p.m. – 2:30p.m.ET. Beale House Lawn, located at 181 Adams Street. Street parking is available.

MISSOURI – Ozark National Scenic Riverways –The “Alley Independence Day Celebration” will be held on July 2 at Alley Spring. This event commemorates the traditional “picnic” celebrations held at Alley Spring across the turn of the twentieth century, when Alley was the social center for families in the surrounding area. Activities will include musical entertainment, old fashioned games and contests, and demonstrations of traditional Ozark skills.

NEW YORK – St. Paul’s Church – Enjoy a traditional July 4th celebration featuring music, speeches, refreshments, reading of the Declaration of Independence, and tolling of the historic St. Paul’s church bell – 13 times. Event starts at 10:30a.m.ET.

PENNSYLVANIA – Valley Forge National Historical Park – Join Park Rangers for a living history demonstration at the Muhlenberg Brigade huts on July 4. Enjoy children`s craft activities and a traditional Fourth of July barbecue at the Visitor Center. 11:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.ET.

SOUTH CAROLINA – Cowpens National Battlefield – Fireworks and family fun! Fireworks will begin at approximately 9:00p.m.ET on July 2, two days before Independence Day. Music will be provided by the Spartanburg Community Band.

VIRGINIA – George Washington Birthplace – Celebrate the 235th birthday of the United States with hands-on, colonial-themed children’s activities and costumed interpretation! 10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.ET.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – National Mall and Memorial Parks – America’s biggest birthday party is taking place on July 4 on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Not only will the event feature incredible performances by some of the country’s best-known personalities and musicians, but it will also boast the most spectacular fireworks display. Event starts at 8:00p.m.ET (gates open to the public at 3:00p.m.ET).

Many more exciting events have been planned across the country and can be found on the National Park Service website.

Though the hype surrounding this year’s First Bloom Garden Design Contest may not have been up to par with the American Idol finale, these winners were just as excited. Ask any of the winning students if they love their national parks and the answer will be a resounding, YES!

Just last week, 80 fourth grade students from Robert Moton Elementary School in Westminster, Maryland celebrated their winning garden design with a special prize trip, arranged by the National Park Foundation, to visit a handful of national parks in our nation’s capital. These students have been working with Catoctin Mountain Park since the beginning of the school year to design a garden full of native plant species . You can check out their winning design here.

Ranger Patrick talking to Robert Moton Elementary School students about Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Island

The group began the day at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Island where Ranger Patrick and Ranger Emily led the students on a short trail walk. Surrounded by leafy, green foliage and the sounds of nature, students learned about Roosevelt’s role in the conservation movement and the history of the island. The group then headed to the Jefferson Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial, where they heard the story about how their school’s namesake, Dr. Robert Moton, gave the keynote address at the dedication ceremony of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922. The students were in awe of this fact. The visit ended with a brief stop to view the impressive Washington Monument before heading back to school. Overall, their day in D.C. was a great way to build off of their experience with Catoctin Mountain Park and help nurture a lasting, more meaningful relationship with their national parks.

WBAL TV in Baltimore, MD ran a segment on the students and their winning design. You can watch “Students Win National Contest By Building Garden” here. Read what Baltimore Sun’s Susan Reimer has to say about the project in her post “Students team with Catoctin Mountain Park for award-winning design” on her blog “Garden Variety”. And if you still have time, definitely take a look at Carroll County Times reporter Carrie Ann Knauer’s “Robert Moton fourth-graders win national contest for garden” and Westminster Patch blogger Kym Byrnes’ “Robert Moton Students Shine with Winning Garden Design”.

You can help support National Park Foundation programs like First Bloom by visiting nationalparks.org.

On April 5, 2011, I gave birth to my first child, a son my husband and I named Jamie. I was surprised at how quickly my perspective on most everything changed. My priorities instantly shifted to focus on his life, the experiences he would have, and how I could positively impact his future.

Like most parents, I want my son to lead a happy, active, healthy life, enjoying the outdoors as often as possible. I want him to breathe fresh, clean air. I want him to explore nature first-hand. I want him to have access to our national parks and I want him to have opportunities to learn and experience history in the places and sites where it actually occurred. I was fortunate enough to have these opportunities and I want the same and more for my son.

So, on my very first Mother’s Day, I am asking all of you to join me by supporting and protecting our national parks. This is a gift we can give our children, ourselves and all posterity and, thanks to Macy’s and the National Park Foundation, there is an easy way to do it.

Now through Mother’s Day, we can send free, personalized Facebook messages to our loved ones in honor of Mother’s Day 2011 and support the National Park Foundation at the same time! For every message that is sent where the sender selects the National Park Foundation as the charity of choice, Macy’s will donate five dollars, up to a total of $400,000 in the recipient’s honor to the National Park Foundation. Visit http://prks.org/parkmom to send a message right now! It’s an incredible opportunity to both honor our moms and all those special to us while simultaneously supporting the parks. I hope you’ll join me!

Working with the National Park Service staff at Gulf Islands National Seashore (GINS) on our latest Electronic Field Trip (EFT), Sea Change, was an extremely educational experience for me personally. The park unit spans the Gulf Coast between the panhandle in Florida all the way over to Mississippi. From natural and human-created events like Hurricane Ivan and the Gulf oil spill, the National Seashore has endured many changes over the past ten years. Throughout this time the park rangers have remained steadfast in their belief that the park remains resilient and will always make a comeback.

That is the primary lesson we were looking to pass on to students across the country during the Electronic Field Trip. After all, change is a constant in all aspects of life and we need to learn how to understand and manage it as best as we can. Of course, the EFT also instructed students on how we should work hard to minimize the impacts our own behavior has on the Gulf of Mexico and all ecosystems.

Before beginning the work on this EFT, I was unaware that two thirds of the United States, between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians form the watershed that eventually drains into the Gulf and this runoff creates a serious impact. I have learned how important it is to understand our personal impacts on these delicate ecosystems and participate in the science and solutions in our own communities. It’s my hope that, through the latest EFT, the National Park Foundation was able to help spread that vital message in 4th to 8th grade classrooms across the country and around the world.