National Preservation Month - May 2008

Date: April 1, 2008
Contact: Hallie Larsen, [phone] ext. 274

Petrified Forest Celebrates National Preservation Month - May 2008

Petrified Forest— Since the National Trust created Preservation Week in 1971 to spotlight grassroots preservation efforts in America, it has grown into an annual celebration observed by small towns, big cities, state and national parks with events ranging from architectural and historic tours and award ceremonies, educational programs and heritage travel opportunities. Due to its overwhelming popularity, the National Trust has extended the celebration to the entire month of May and declared it Preservation Month to provide an even longer opportunity to celebrate the diverse and unique heritage of our country, enabling more Americans to become involved in the growing preservation movement.

At Petrified Forest, the month will be celebrated with a variety of activities, including:

• Special tours of historic buildings such as the Painted Desert Inn, the Painted Desert Complex, and the Rainbow Forest District, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Daily tours of Puerco Pueblo, an ancestral Puebloan archeological site—also on the National Register.
• Online exhibit about National Preservation Month at www.nps.gov/pefo
• Talks featuring preservation and conservation.
• Exhibit at the Painted Desert Visitor Center and Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark.
• Display of historic photographs
• Hunt for the Historic in the park: self guided activity with handout.
• Check at the desk for other activities!

Visitors can join thousands of individuals around the country as part of a nationwide celebration of National Preservation Month in May 2008. “Making Preservation Work!" is the theme of the month-long celebration, which is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

For more information call [phone] weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time; or write to the Superintendent, Petrified Forest National Park, P.O. Box 2217, Petrified Forest, AZ 86028; or e-mail the park.