Seashore Receives Donations from Eastern National For Park Newspapers and Trail Exhibits

Date: June 23, 2008
Contact: Wouter Ketel, [phone] Ext. 3005

Harkers Island, NC-- Superintendent Russel J. Wilson is pleased to announce that Cape Lookout National Seashore received grants from Eastern National, a National Park Service partner, in support of the seashore’s education program. A grant of $2,750 was awarded to design the 2008 edition of the park’s newspaper, and a grant of $3,880 was received for fabrication of ten outdoor educational exhibits that were installed on the Harker’s Island area Willow Pond and Soundside nature trails.

Each year, the park’s 16-page color newspaper features articles on themes such as banks history, lighthouses, storms, geology and geography, in addition to routine information on seashore facilities and programs. Approximately 20,000 copies of the newspaper are printed each year. Superintendent Wilson stated that the Eastern National grant for design of the paper has helped make it one of the best that he has seen in the park service.

The Willow Pond and Soundside self-guided nature trails are a cooperative project with the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center. First laid out in 2004, several projects came together to make these trails a reality, including: completion of the boardwalk and sound overlook in 2004 and the Willow Pond in 2007; preparation and printing of a guide and map in 2007; and final installation of trail markers, way-finding signs, and the ten exhibits funded by Eastern National in 2008. “We are very excited to complete the trails with the installation of the signs and trailside exhibits,” noted Wilson; “they will help visitors appreciate the special nature of the coastal and maritime resources that are part of the world that many take for granted.”

A short dedication marking completion of the trail was held on Saturday, June 21, at 4:00 PM at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center.

Eastern National is a non-profit organization that provides quality educational products and services to the visitors to America’s national parks and other public trusts. Eastern National operates educational outlets in over 170 national parks and public lands in 30 states. Since 1947, Eastern National has donated over $89 million to the National Park Service.  For more information, visit www.easternnational.org or www.eParks.com.