Veterans Make A Difference On National Public Lands Day

Team Rubicon and Wounded Warriors staff at Colonial National Historical Park on National Public Lands Day.

Colonial National Historical Park concluded fiscal year 2017 on National Public Lands Day with the help of Team Rubicon and the Wounded Warrior Project. Although Team Rubicon's primary mission is to provide disaster relief to those affected by natural disasters, they have an additional element of their mission dedicated to community service. Pairing their skills and experiences of military veterans, Team Rubicon has adopted our National Cemetery at Yorktown for this purpose.

An inspired team of 12 volunteers was able to complete several objectives outlined in the landscape proposals of the cemetery maintenance plan. Activities included culling and cutting back overgrown bushes that have covered grave markers for several years. They painted several battlefield interpretive signs that narrate the battlefield redoubts and cemetery’s history. Moreover, they cleared selected fortifications, siege line redoubts and earthworks of undergrowth that impeded visitors ability to walk around and “get a sense” of the battlefield.

Through National Public Lands Day, Team Rubicon was able to find their park and connect other veterans and wounded warriors to public lands in their community. Team Rubicon District Coordinator Noëll Bolleurs said it best, “Team Rubicon seeks to provide our veterans with three things they lose after leaving the military; a purpose, self worth, and sense of community. We all have a purpose,” stated Noell. “How do you define your purpose? Well, that’s up to you.” It’s this kind of call to action that makes the VIP Program successful. National Public Lands Day helps connect our nation’s finest to the public lands of our community with a shared purpose and stewardship for Colonial National Historical Park.