Calling All Junior Rangers and Volunteers to Participate in National Public Lands Day

Date: September 21, 2012
Contact: Virginia DuBowy, Natural Resources Program Manager, 601-619-2911
Contact: Melissa Perez, Education Specialist, 601-636-8715

Join more than 170,000 volunteers across the nation on Saturday, September 29, 2012, taking part in National Public Lands Day - the largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands in the United States. And this year Vicksburg National Military Park is adding a Shape Up! Junior Ranger event to promote the significance of preserving the commemorative features of the park.

NPLD began in 1994 with three sites and 700 volunteers, and proved to be such a huge success that it became a yearly tradition. Volunteers in every state visit parks, public and community gardens, beaches, wildlife preserves or forests and chip in to help these treasured places that belong to all Americans. They work to improve and restore the lands and facilities the public uses for recreation, education, exercise, and connecting with nature. NPLD educates Americans about the environment and natural resources, and the need for shared stewardship of these valued, irreplaceable lands, builds partnerships between the public sector and the local community based upon mutual interests in the enhancement and restoration of America's public lands, and improves public lands for outdoor recreation through hands-on work.

This year's activities will focus on painting cannon and carriages and cleaning historic markers located in the area between Tour Stops #1 (Battery DeGolyer) and #3 (3d Louisiana Redan). In addition, Junior Rangers can earn a stamp for their logbook by participating in a Shape Up! Junior Ranger 'Commemorative Walk' to learn about the history and meaning of the memorials, monuments, and plaques that dot the park's landscape, and help volunteers with cleaning some of the many markers in the area.

Sign-up for both events will start at 8:00 a.m. at the main Visitor Center parking lot on Clay Street. Come dressed for outdoor work and walking!Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty or paint stained. For safety reasons and due to the nature of the work, clothing should include long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and tennis shoes or work boots.Materials (paint, brushes, cleaner, latex gloves) will be provided by the park. Come prepared for the sun with a cap, sunscreen, bug spray, and plenty of water to drink.

A pizza lunch will be provided at 12:00 noon next to the Old Administration Building located on Pemberton Avenue in the park.

National Public Lands Day is a fee-free day at all National Parks which charge an entrance fee. For more information about National Public Lands Day and the Shape Up! Junior Ranger event at Vicksburg National Military Park, please contact Virginia DuBowy, Natural Resources Program Manager (601-619-2911; e-mail us) or Melissa Perez, Education Specialist (601-636-8715; e-mail us).For more information on Vicksburg National Military Park, go to www.nps.gov/vick/.