2009 National Park Week and National Volunteer Week at Point Reyes National Seashore

Date: April 14, 2009
Contact: Melanie Gunn, 415-464-5131

National Park Week is an annual Presidentially proclaimed week for celebration and recognition of Your National Parks. National Park Week usually coincides with Earth Day (April 22). For 2009, National Park Week lasts from Saturday, April 18 through Sunday, April 26.

Additionally, National Volunteer Week will be commemorated April 19–25. The theme for National Volunteer Week is "Celebrating People in Action." The theme captures the meaning behind this signature week—honoring the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities. There's no question, the Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) program has grown over the years to reflect the dedication of people throughout the world to our national parks. In 1970, the program started with a few hundred volunteers. Today, there are 176,000 VIPs contributing over 5 million hours annually and helping to preserve and protect our natural and cultural resources. Last year at Point Reyes National Seashore nearly 1500 volunteers contributed over 29,000 hours.

Your National Parks are living examples of the best this Nation has to offer—our magnificent natural landscapes and our varied yet interrelated heritage. Parks can provide recreational experiences, opportunities to learn and grow, and places of quiet refuge.

Below is a listing of events to be held at Point Reyes National Seashore during or in conjunction with National Park Week, National Volunteer Week, and Earth Day. All events are co-hosted by Point Reyes National Seashore and Environmental Action Committee of West Marin.

• Friday, April 17, 2009, 7 pm–9 pm - Movie Screening: Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures: Call of the Killer Whale
• Saturday, April 18, 2009, 10 am–1 pm - Weed Watchers Training and Hike
• Monday, April 20, 2009, 9 am–2:30 pm - Habitat Restoration Work Day
• Tuesday, April 21, 2009, 9 am–12 noon - Life-Saving Service Cemetery Cleanup Day
• Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 12 noon–4:30 pm - Weed Watchers Training and Hike
• Thursday, April 23, 2009, 9 am–2:30 pm - Habitat Restoration Work Day
• Friday, April 24, 2009, 10 am–1 pm - Beach Cleanup at Limantour Beach
• Saturday, April 25, 10 am–11 am - Giacomini Wetland Field Seminars: Breeding and Migrant Birds
• Saturday, April 25, 1 pm–4 pm - Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project: Volunteer Day
  Sunday, April 26, 2009, 9 am–2 pm - Habitat Restoration Work Day

This year, take a moment, an hour, a day to visit a national park near you.

For further information and details about these activities at Point Reyes National Seashore, please visit our National Park Week & National Volunteer Week page or contact Melanie Gunn, Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) Program Manager at 415-464-5131 or by email.

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