January 2009

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 on our Internet site at http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/pressrm.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 World Wide Web site.

On Exhibit: Presidential Inaugurations
 (Washington, D.C.)  The history of Presidential Inaugurations for more than 200 years can be revisited in this exhibit on display through January 24 at the White House Visitor Center. Since 1801, Presidential Inaugurations have been conducted in Washington, D.C., the culmination of our electoral process. For more information, please contact Toni Braxton at 202/619-7222.

Discover New Orleans Jazz by phone
(Louisiana) The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park has developed a walking tour of New Orleans jazz sites that can be launched via cell phone or mp3 downloads. An audio tour brochure for the Jazz Walk of Fame is available at the park visitor center or online at www.nps.gov/jazz. The tour phone number is 504/613-4062 and the mobile web site is www.myoncell.mobi/15046134062 . For more information, please contact Matt Hampsey at 504/589-4841.

Acadia Virtual Tour Wins Media Award
(Maine) The eCruise, Acadia National Park’s virtual tour of the islands and waters off the coast of Mount Desert Island, won a first place media award in the multi-media category at the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) annual conference held in Portland, Oregon, in November 2008. The eCruise includes the sights and sounds of coastal Maine. Participants can tailor their experiences by choosing from a variety of media—audio, video, text, panoramic images, maps, and photographs. To take the eCruise, visit the park website at www.nps.gov/acad/photosmultimedia/virtualtour.htm. For more information, contact Ginny Reams at 207/288-8806.

Saint Croix Island International Historic Site Launches French Website
(Maine) -- French-speaking individuals can now access portions of the Saint Croix Island International Historic Site website in their native language. Park staff launched a French version of the website in December 2008. Visitors can plan trips, learn about the 1604 French settlement on Saint Croix Island and access teacher kits and other educational resources in French. To access the French site, follow the link on the Saint Croix home page at www.nps.gov/sacr. For more information, contact Meg Scheid at 207/454-3871.

Winter at Lassen Volcanic National Park
(California) Even though snow has now closed the road through Lassen Volcanic National Park for the winter, the park is open...and for the first time, the park can welcome its visitors in the new Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. This brand new "green" building is designed to efficiently serve visitors everyday of the year. At the center, visitors can experience the brand new park film (in high-definition and surround sound), view interpretive exhibits in the exhibit hall, and purchase a cup of hot chocolate and keep warm by the stonework fireplace. From January 3 through April 5 ranger-led snowshoe walks will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. from the visitor center. Visitors can join a ranger for a one- or two-mile adventure exploring winter ecology and Lassen’s geologic history. For more information, please contact Karen Haner at 530/595-4444, ext. 5130.

Hiking in the New Year
(New York) -- Fire Island National Seashore has scheduled a number of hikes to start the New Year. The William Floyd Estate, while closed for the season, is conducting ranger-guided hikes during January: Wintertime Nature Walk will take place at 9 a.m. on January 19 and In Honor of Trees will start at 10 a.m. on January 25. Call 631/399-2030 for details and directions. For more information about these events please contact, Paula Valentine at 631/687-4759.

Snowshoeing on the Moon
(Idaho) Recent snows have provided an excellent base for exploring the wonderful winter world of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. A variety of ranger guided snowshoe walks will commence in January. Join a ranger for Winter Ecology Workshops at 9:30 a.m. on any Saturday in January and also on February 14.  Call 208-527-1300 to sign up for these popular extended events. Each tour starts with a classroom session on winter ecology, followed by several hours out in the park on snowshoes. On Sundays in January and on February 1 shorter snowshoe excursions will be offered starting at 1 p.m. No reservation is required for these 2.5 hour excursions. Bring your own snowshoes or borrow ours. All events are free of charge. More details are available at the park website: www.nps.gov/crmo. For more information, please contact Ted Stout at 208/527-1330.

Snowshoeing on the Dunes
(Indiana) Join a ranger at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and explore the winter woods on snowshoes. The barren trees provide an opportunity to see nests, cocoons and other signs of resident animals that were hidden until now. These winter wanderings take place every Saturday in January and February, (except January 17). Each excursion is free of charge and starts at the Calumet Dune Interpretive Center, Highway 12 and Kemil Road, at 1:30 p.m. and returns at 3 p.m. A limited number of snowshoes are available for loan during the program. For more information, please contact Ryan Koepke at 219/395-8914.

Winter wonders at Big Cypress National Preserve
(Florida) Explore the wonders of the Big Cypress Swamp and the Everglades ecosystem. This winter’s planned activities include wildlife viewing area talks, swamp walks, canoe tours, bike hikes and a variety of other opportunities that allow visitors to venture into the swamp with park rangers and volunteers. These programs aim to provide visitors with a greater understanding of the cultural and natural features of the Preserve and an appreciation for why this area is protected for everyone. More information is available at http://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/ranger-led-activities.htm.  To make reservations call 239/695-1201. For more information, please contact Bob DeGross at 239/695-1107.

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. Topics include art in the park, night skies, park history, place name origins, geology, and more. The courses begin in January and run four to five weeks. For more information, contact Ardrianna McLane at 207/288-8733 or Kate Petrie at 207/288-8808.

Edgar Allan Poe bicentennial events
(Pennsylvania) The Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site will unveil new exhibits on the life and literary legacy of Poe, as part of the bicentennial celebration, “Edgar Allan Poe, the Many Sides of Genius.” January 19 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe. The official Friends of Poe bicentennial birthday party will take place on Friday, January 16, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the German Society, 7th and Spring Garden Streets. The event, which will include a wine-tasting of vintages mentioned in Poe’s works and a preview of the new exhibits that will officially open to the public on Saturday, January 17, costs $10 for Friends’ members and $15 for non-members. Call 215/597-7919 for reservations and more information.  For more information, please contact Jane Cowley at 215/597-0060.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: Make it a day on, not a day off!
(Pennsylvania) Each year on the third Monday of January schools, federal offices, post office and banks nation-wide close as we celebrate the birth, the life and the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Valley Forge National Historical Park invites individuals, families and groups to join in service projects on Saturday, January 17 and Monday, January 19 from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information please contact Ernestine White at 610/783-1065.

Inauguration Day in the Big Apple
(New York) Big screen TVs will showcase the events in Washington, D.C. on January 20. Presidential re-enactors and the National Archives and Records Administration will offer interpretive programs throughout the day at Federal Hall National Memorial. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212/668-2208.

Battlefield celebrates Revolutionary War anniversary
 (South Carolina) -- On January 17 and 18, Revolutionary War reenactors will bring the 18th century to life at Cowpens National Battlefield. To celebrate the 228th anniversary of this decisive American victory over the British, park staff will offer free activities from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Visitors will be able to see how people of the period fought, dressed, lived and cooked. Activities include 18th century weapons firing demonstrations, Revolutionary War cavalry demonstrations, ranger-led battlefield walks, author talks, book signings and a guided lantern-lit walk. A detailed schedule is available on the park webpage at http://www.nps.gov/cowp/planyourvisit/events.htm . For more information, please contact Donna Davis at 864/461-2828.

Live Oaks Celebration
(Florida) Gulf Islands National Seashore will host the annual Live Oaks Celebration at the Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center on January 17 at 2 p.m. Staff will dedicate a new roadside historic marker at this year’s event. For more information, please contact Stanley Lawhead at 850/934-2600.

Frost Faire at the Saratoga Battlefield
(New York) On Saturday, January 24, Saratoga National Historical Park will host the 13th annual winter festival. Enjoy this winter-time family fun from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with tubing on the “Big Hill,” a cheery bonfire, hot refreshments, a nature hike, horse-drawn carriage rides, snow-shoeing and more. All activities are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Gina Johnson at 518/664-9821, ext. 227.

22nd Annual Whale Watch Weekend and Intertidal Life Festival
(California)  The 22nd Annual Whale Watch Weekend and Intertidal Life Festival will take place on January 24 and 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cabrillo National Monument. Approximately 8,000-10,000 visitors are expected for this family-oriented event, which started in 1988 as Whale Watch Weekend, and celebrates the return of the Pacific gray whales to Point Loma as part of their annual, round-trip migration from Mexico to Alaska and the intertidal life found in the tidepool area on the monument’s western shore. Guest speakers will share their expertise on gray whales and other cetaceans and intertidal habitat and ecology. Exhibitors will provide activities and information about whales, tidepools and their organizations. Park rangers and volunteers will assist visitors in spotting whales and exploring the monument’s tidepool area. All events are included with the regular park entrance fee. For information about this event call 619/557-5450 or visit online at www.nps.gov/cabr/. For more information, please contact Karl Pierce at 619/523-4562.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial re-opening celebration
(Pennsylvania) On February 7, the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial will re-open.  The memorial has been closed since December 1, 2008, for installation of new exhibits. The new exhibits to be unveiled at noon on February 7 are the result of an international cultural exchange with several museums in Poland.  For more information, please contact Jane Cowley at 215/597-0060.

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Last Update January 12, 2009- 04:25 p.m.
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