News Release

Write the River

How will you celebrate National Public Lands Day?

NPLD

News Release Date: September 8, 2020

Contact: Susan Cook, 402-376-1901

Valentine, Nebraska – Enjoy some quiet near the river and write your thoughts about the Niobrara River. The Niobrara National Scenic River is joining with the Nebraska and National Writing Projects to celebrate National Public Lands Day with a writing marathon, Write the River, on September 25-26, 2020 from 7 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Smith Falls State Park. During this writing marathon, individuals or family groups write for one hour at a time, but you can sign up for multiple hours if you wish.  Register in advance by calling the Niobrara National Scenic River’s Visitor Center at 402-376-1901 or by emailing Susan Cook, e-mail us.

Everyone is invited! Spend quiet time along the river and write about your river experiences and its importance to you. No need to be an expert.  Social distancing will be practiced during the event and masks are encouraged while engaging with others. The National Park Service canopy will be set up at the landing at Smith Falls. Staff will welcome writers and be available for any assistance needed but will let the writers spend quality time with this river. You do not need to write the whole hour but spend some time using your senses to explore the sights, sounds, smells, and touch of the plants around. You just might be treated to some wildlife meandering through. After exploring with your senses, write about it or if you have stories related to the river, please write those too. The river has so much history around it and many stories to tell. If you want to share what you write, we’d love to take a picture of it, if you don’t, you don’t have to.

September 26 is National Public Lands Day. Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort. It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits. 

Niobrara National Scenic River is one of America’s National Scenic Rivers and a unit of the National Parks Service in Valentine, Nebraska. Keep up with the latest information by following us on Facebook (Niobrara National Scenic River) and Instagram (@NiobraraRiverNPS).  For more information, please call 402-376-1901 or visit www.nps.gov/niob. Visitor Center hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. Admission is free of charge.
 

www.nps.gov
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 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.