Volunteers Needed for Homestead Deer Count

Date: September 10, 2013

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National Park ServiceNews Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 10, 2013
Merrith Baughman 402-223-3514

Volunteers Needed for Homestead Deer Count

Homestead National Monument of America will conduct its annual fall deer survey onSaturday, September 28, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. Please come and help the monument count deer. No experience is needed; just show up at the Homestead Education Center for an orientation. Wear long pants, long sleeved shirt, and good walking shoes. Walkers will hike approximately 3/4 of a mile through the prairie. For those who can't or don't want to walk that far, people are needed to watch monument boundaries and count deer as they exit. The survey will be completed by 12 p.m. Motorists on State Highway 4 need to be alert for deer crossing the highway as they drive through the monument on the morning of September 28, 2013.

 The deer survey kicks off the annual Prairie Appreciation Week. Other events celebrating the prairie include:

• Sunday, September 29, at2:00 p.m.Historian Blake Bell will be presenting a program at the Education Center on the 1930’s Dust Bowl.
• Saturday, October 5, at9:30 a.m.come to the Education Center to help the monument harvest prairie seed and learn about the diversity of the tallgrass prairie.
• Saturday, October 5, at2:00 p.m.join Natural Resource Specialist Jesse Bolli for a walk starting at the Heritage Center as he explores the delicate detail of the prairie.
• Sunday, October 6, at 2:00-4:00 p.m. the second annual Hedge Apple Festival will be held at the Heritage Center.

Please watch this newspaper or visitwww.nps.gov/homefor more information about these events.

“Fall is a great time of year to visit Homestead National Monument of America and discover the beauty of the natural resources that made Eastern Nebraska the fertile agricultural landscape that welcomed the homesteaders. By volunteering and learning more about the resources you can help preserve this part of the Nation’s natural history,” stated Park Superintendent Mark Engler.

Remember, Homestead National Monument of America has an exciting schedule of events planned for 2013. Keep up with the latest information by following us on Twitter (HomesteadNM) and Facebook (Homestead National Monument of America).

Homestead National Monument of America is a unit of the National Park Service located four miles west of Beatrice, Nebraska or just 45 miles south of Lincoln, Nebraska. Hours of operation are8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.Mondaythrough Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday andSunday. Admission is free of charge. For additional information, please call 402-223-3514 or visithttps://www.nps.gov/home/.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 401 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.

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