News Release
Subscribe
 |
What is RSS
|
Contact: Jill Hamilton-Anderson, 912-406-2612
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."-Aristotle, Greek Philosopher
ST. SIMONS, GA – Since its establishment in 1936, Fort Frederica National Monument, has been at the forefront of preservation and interpretative programming. In the 1940’s and 1950’s Frederica hosted some of the earliest and most comprehensive historical archeological excavations ever carried out. In the 1990’s Frederica created an education program that revolutionized the way colonial history and S.T.E.M. principals were taught in elementary schools. In the 2000’s, a new Junior Ranger book was developed that is considered the gold standard throughout the National Park Service. In 2018 and 2019, the Volunteer Program at Fort Frederica National Monument was recognized as the most outstanding in the Southeast Region.
We are proud to continue this tradition of excellence in providing new and innovative ways to preserve and educate. The staff and volunteers of Fort Frederica National Monument were recently recognized for their dedication, innovation, and exemplary contributions to the National Park Service and their communities.
We would like to congratulate the following group and individuals:
Glynn Academy Ethnology Club 2020 George and Helen Hartzog Youth Group Volunteer Award Southeast Region
A group of students from Glynn Academy High School created a volunteer organization to carry out a series of excavations and educational programs throughout 2020 and 2021. The excavations have yielded new information on the development of the town during the colonial period and its continued use/habitation through the 1940’s. Their findings have led to new interpretative programming, including museum exhibits, and provided a unique perspective and experience to park visitors. The efforts of the students increased community awareness of the park, providing opportunities for remote learning, and modified educational programming to schools. The students act as ambassadors for Fort Frederica NM, recruiting new volunteers and assisting with visitor messaging. Their work and positive attitudes had led to the donation of over $50,000 to the Friends of Fort Frederica for the development of archeological education programming and internship opportunities. In 2021, the Friends of Fort Frederica were able to offer the first archeological educational internships to four students from Glynn Academy.
Tom and Karen Hartley 2020 George and Helen Hartzog Individual Volunteer National Award
At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hartley’s safely remained at the park past their original commitment to help staff begin new protocols, train new employees, and provide visitors with the opportunity to continue experiencing their national parks.
They also built an 18th-century bake oven for visitor programming and trained staff in its use, created and marked 1.5 miles of nature trails for visitors to safely social distance and enjoy access to a previously unused part of the park. They assisted park staff with the development and hosting of an African American festival day that focused on the life of Robert S. Abbott and the discovery of an unmarked cemetery containing Abbott’s father and two aunts, and developed a self-guided nature walk with signage and brochures along existing trails.
Michael Seibert 2020 John L. Cotter Award for Excellence in Archeology National Award, 2020 Freeman Tilden Award for Interpretation Southeast Region, and 2020 Appleman-Judd-Lewis Excellence in Cultural Resource Management.
Seibert resolved a long-standing question of the location of burials of enslaved and freed populations of African Americans on St. Simons Island, Georgia. Working closely with stakeholders, Seibert developed a research methodology to locate burials with minimal ground disturbance, established a committee who participated in the decision-making process, and hosted a re-dedication ceremony involving four different religious sects. The project culminated in a day-long festival celebrating Gullah Geechee cultural heritage. He supervised and mentored students and volunteers who played integral roles in researching biographies of the interred individuals, developing outreach events and materials, and contacting stakeholder groups. He led the design of a new museum exhibit at Fort Frederica that will highlight the insights gained from this project.
George and Helen Hartzog Volunteerism Awards
National Park Service Director George B. Hartzog, Jr, who led the National Park Service (NPS) from 1964 to 1972, recognized the need to make it easier for citizens to donate their time and talents to the NPS. Director Hartzog created the Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) program in 1970. After his retirement, George and his wife Helen remembered the VIP program with a generous donation to the National Park Foundation. This fund has been used to support awards that honor the efforts of exceptional volunteers, groups, and park VIP programs.
Freeman Tilden Award for Interpretation
The Freeman Tilden Awards are the highest Interpretation and Education awards presented to a National Park Service individual or team to recognize outstanding contributions to the profession of interpretation and education. The award was created to inspire and reward creative thinking and original programs/projects in our National Parks that result in positive and meaningful impacts for the visitors and for the preservation of the parks.
John L. Cotter Award for Excellence in NPS Archeology
This award is presented to individuals and teams who demonstrate innovation in archeological practice, resource stewardship, and public outreach, among other criteria. We celebrate the kind of work we wish to see throughout the National Park system.
Appleman-Judd-Lewis Award for Cultural Resource Management
The Director’s Appleman-Judd-Lewis Awards recognize expertise and outstanding contributions to cultural resource stewardship and management employees of the National Park Service. Offered annually, the three awards—one for a park superintendent(s), one for a facility maintenance specialist(s), and one for a cultural resource specialist(s) —were created to encourage creativity in cultural resource stewardship and management practices and projects, particularly those that may serve as examples or models for programs service-wide.
For more information about Fort Frederica National Monument, visit (www.nps.gov/fofr) or follow the park on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FortFredericaNPS/)
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Last updated: September 28, 2021