Celebrate National Park Week at Cowpens National Battlefield with Two Special Events

Children playing quoits (ring toss)

Scott Withrow

For National Park Week, April 16 - 24, 2011, Cowpens National Battlefield will host two special events. On Saturday, April 16, interns from the Student Conservation Association will lead volunteers in removing exotic species from the park. The following Saturday, April 23, is National Junior Ranger Day, and children can earn a special Junior Ranger patch.

Congress mandated that Cowpens National Battlefield be restored to the way it looked when the Americans and British fought on January 17, 1781. That includes removing exotic plants (plants that residents and animals introduced after the battle). Volunteers 13-years-old and older will have two opportunities to make an impact by helping to restore the battlefield from 9:15 – 11:45 and from12:45 – 3:00 on April 16. To participate in this rewarding activity, they should bring leather work gloves and wear long pants, long sleeves, and closed-toed shoes, preferably boots. Volunteers 13 – 17 years old must have a parent or guardian accompanying them. If you would like to participate, please call 208-954-4462 and leave a message with your name, number in your group, and the session you plan to attend.

From 10:00 – 3:30 on Saturday, April 23, children 6 years and older who pick up a free Junior Ranger Activity Booklet at the Visitor Center, complete the age-appropriate activities, and do one additional activity will earn a special Junior Ranger patch and certificate. The additional activities include attending a cannon-firing demonstration by reenactors at 10:15, 11:30, 1:45, or 2:30 and completing an 18th century craft, such as writing with a quill pen, anytime between 10:00 - 3:30. The Junior Ranger program is designed to have children and adults work together to learn more about the history and environment in our national parks.

National Park Week events will also be held at Kings Mountain National Military Park in Blacksburg, SC and at Ninety Six National Historic Site in Ninety Six, SC. To find out what is happening across the nation for National Park Week visit www.nps.gov/npweek. To make it easier to experience America’s Great Outdoors, the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees, so visitors can enjoy all 394 national parks for free April 16-24.

Cowpens National Battlefield is the site of the American victory over the British on January 17, 1781 and is located 10 miles west of Gaffney, SC, and 3 miles east of Chesnee, SC at the intersection of Highways 11, 110, and 221-A. Visitor Center hours are 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily. For more information about activities at Cowpens National Battlefield, call [phone] or visit the park’s webpage at www.nps.gov/cowp/.

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