WASHINGTON (June 4, 2008)– The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with federal, state and local government agencies; non-profit organizations; and recreation industry partners, will participate in the first National Get Outdoors Day on June 14.

On this day, more than 75 organizations will conduct hundreds of outdoor activities at 39 government and privately-managed recreation sites across the country according to event co-sponsors, the U.S. Forest Service and the American Recreation Coalition. The goal of the national event is to raise the awareness of people of all ages, especially kids, on the benefits of outside activities. Each National Get Outdoors Day event will feature activities that promote fun and value time outdoors.

Event organizers selected six Corps of Engineers project sites to be featured nationally. These are: Rivers Project (National Great Rivers Museum) West Alton, Mo.; Lake Oahe in Pierre, S.D.; Melvern Lake in Melvern, Kan.; Pomona Lake in Vassar, Kan.; Clinton Lake in Lawrence, Kan.; Wappapello Lake in Wappapello, Mo.

Among the outdoor recreation activities at these sites are geocaching (a high-tech version of treasure hunting using the latest handheld electronic devices), hiking, bicycling, photography contests, scuba and water safety demonstrations, dutch oven cooking, disc golf competitions, children’s fishing derby, ironman triathlon and virtual fishing simulator. Dozens of other Corps of Engineers project sites will also hold events in support of National Get Outdoors Day.  

National Get Outdoors Day is a signature event of “Great Outdoors Month,” designated annually in June by the White House and governors across the nation.

For more information on the event, please visit http://www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org/
For more information on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes, please visit http://www.corpslakes.us.