Lewis and Clark Trail Updates 2022

About this article: This article was originally published in the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail 2022 Annual Report.

Partnership for the National Trails System

Did you know that there are more than 55,000 miles within the National Trails System? That’s more than the U.S. Federal Highway System! These National Scenic and Historic Trails play a vital role in connecting the public to culture, history, and nature.

This year Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Superintendent Mark Weekley and Interpretive Specialist Caitlin Campbell attended the Partnership for the National Trails System (PNTS) Annual Conference to engage with other leaders in the trails community. Caitlin joined staff from the National Trails Office to present.

A family plays at the South Dakota Discovery Center in Pierre, SD. 

Missouri River Wildlife Walk continues in 2022

This year, Lewis and Clark Trail continued a popular partnership with local photographer Alex Wiles and sites along the Missouri River. The Missouri River Wildlife Walk is a temporary outdoor summer exhibit that interprets animals of the Missouri River ecosystem. Large sidewalk stickers feature incredibly detailed close-up wildlife photographs by Alex Wiles along with a fun interactive challenge for kids. Hold out your arms. Is your wingspan as big as a bald eagle’s?

Lewis and Clark Trail Volunteer and Partnerships Specialist Ashley Danielson at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

NPS

NASA and NPS team up with Earth to Sky Academy

Lewis and Clark Trail’s Volunteer and Partnerships Specialist Ashley Danielson has some cool connections with NASA. Ashley coordinated a partnership with NASA that culminated with Seaman Junior (a stuffed animal in the likeness of Meriwether Lewis’s iconic Newfoundland dog) traveling to outer space in 2018! This year, Ashley met with NASA and National Park Service (NPS)professionals at the Earth to Sky Academy meeting. The group focuses on bringing NASA science to NPS interpreters. Ashley is coordinating a group to document and interpret climate change along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

Railroads in Native America Gathering took place in Ogden, UT. May 19-21, 2022.

Image rights: Railroads in Native America Gathering

Railroads and Native America 2022 Gathering

Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Superintendent Mark Weekley served on the planning committee for the 2022 Railroads and Native America gathering in Ogden, Utah. The gathering’s goal was to “inspire and generate conversations about the historical impacts of railroads in Indigenous communities.” More than 25 presentations representing 10 federally recognized Tribes, were featured during the gathering.

Superintendent Mark Weekley officially welcomes Ranger Kassey Trahanas to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail team.

NPS

Meet our new Omaha Visitor Center Manager

Kassey Trahanas joined the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail team this year to oversee operations at the Lewis and Clark Trail Headquarters Visitor Center in Omaha, NE. Kassey, a Chicago native, came most recently from Voyaguers National Park in Northern Minnesota. As Visitor Center Manager, Kassey will supervise a team that engages with visitors and the Omaha community. Visitor Center staff play an important role in providing information on National Parks and programming on Lewis and Clark to the greater Omaha area and a wide variety of visitors.

Alex Alverez (Shoshone-Bannock) is one of the many Native speakers whose voices were recorded during the Tent of Many Voices.

LC Tribal Legacy website update

Lewis and Clark Trail staff recently completed an update of the LC Tribal Legacy website. It provides access to a broad selection of presentations from the Tent of Many Voices, a performance venue from the 2003-2006 Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. This archive serves to preserve and share the presentations given by American Indian elders, scholars, historians, and community members.

This update includes better usability and navigation, captions, and audio descriptions. We look forward to hosting this archive for the use of future generations. Visit lc-triballegacy.org or the Photos & Multimedia tab on www.nps.gov/lecl.