Make America’s Best Idea Even Better
In an unprecedented call to serve, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation invited Americans to make the national parks Americas Best Idea even better. On September 26th, National Public Lands Day, all 391 national parks welcomed visitors and volunteers for a FREE day of service and celebration in the parks. As part of the festivities, parks featured an exclusive sneak preview of Ken Burns new documentary THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA. Participating partners including Merrell, Unilever and others, honored the day through special in-store events, park activities and more.
Featured events included:
| National Capital Area Parks
The 14 national parks of the National Capital Region will each host their own volunteer and special interpretive activities for the community throughout the day. Service projects will vary by site and include trail projects, river clean-ups and exotic plant removal. The service day will conclude with a celebration on the Ellipse from 5:00-8:30pm featuring fun activities, music, giveaways and a special preview screening of the The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. The program will include remarks by Ken Burns and other special guests. More Information 
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| Rocky Mountain National Park
Volunteers will build a new trail along the Continental Divide in the western side of the park. Throughout the day and across the park, a special sneak peak of The National Parks: America’s Best Idea will be viewed. Beginning at 6:00pm, Rocky Mountain PBS and Etown.org will celebrate Ken Burns and his new documentary at Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder. The program includes an interview with acclaimed photographer John Fielder, live performances of music from the documentary and a special preview screening. More Information
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| Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island National Monuments
In an early kick-off the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation’s celebration of the national parks on September 26 -- National Public Lands Day -- the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island will for the first time, open to the public for a special evening tour and program events on September 24 and 25. As part of the festivities, attendees will experience a sneak preview of Ken Burns’ documentary. Ellis Island will be open on the evening of Thursday, September 24 followed by Liberty Island on Friday, September 25. To purchase tickets visit, http://www.statuecruises.com/night-tour.html More Information
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Other notable events included:
| Biscayne National Park
The park is participating in the South Dade Environmental Fair and Festival for at-risk youth in Homestead. With support from the National Park Foundation, Biscayne will transport 80 young people and family members to park headquarters to show the Ken Burns documentary and enjoy educational activities like the Junior Ranger program from 10:00am to 2:00pm. This event is open to the public. More Information
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| Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
First Bloom will have an event planting scheduled at lunchtime with Boys and Girls Club and local school. There will also be trail repair projects and debris removal for volunteers coming from REI and Unilever. More Information
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| Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
From 9:00am to 1:00pm, volunteers will be scraping, painting and installing shutters on the park’s McManus House near Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA. More Information
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| Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks
Volunteers “vista cleaning” and exotic species removal from Shark Valley district; film viewing for volunteers and in up to 4 other locations – including Visitor Centers and Dry Tortugas National Park ferry. More Information
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| Flight 93 National Memorial
Volunteers will clean, remove and catalogue tributes left at the park’s temporary memorial. A behind the scenes tour of the park for 250 guests is scheduled for 6:00pm with a screening and reception to follow at a nearby resort. Guests will also screen a new short documentary filmed by the park with support from an America’s Best Idea grant from the National Park Foundation. More Information
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| Fort Donnelson National Battlefield
The park is hosting a First Bloom activity. Stewart County Girl Scouts and leaders will participate in seed plantings. Scouts will plant seeds in ecotainer cups and share them along with First Bloom project handouts with park visitors from 9:00-11:00am at the park visitor center. Scouts will meet with park rangers and leaders to discuss the First Bloom project, goals and objectives, discuss the National Park Service mission and vision for Fort Donelson National Battlefield, and view segments of Ken Burns documentary in the visitor center auditorium. More Information
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| Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
As part of Unilever’s National Parks America Tour, Fort McHenry will welcome over 150 volunteers to support the park and help in clean-up activities. More Information
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| Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The park is hosting community volunteer activities at Crissy Field and the Presidio followed by a lunch and documentary screening. The program begins at 8:45am with registration and remarks; volunteer activities follow until noon; the lunch and screening at Crissy Field Center will end at 1:30pm. Volunteer activities will include trail maintenance, habitat restoration, and vegetation management. More Information
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| Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
As part of Unilever’s National Parks America Tour, Indiana Dunes will have a variety of volunteer activities including inland and beach cleanup opportunities. More Information
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| Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
“On The Water Exotic Plant Quest” is an activity for kids to learn and help remove invasive plants. The park will screen the Ken Burns documentary at its visitor center throughout the day. More Information
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| Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is expecting 100 volunteers on September 26 to help with beautification projects. The screening of the documentary is currently scheduled for 5:00pm. More Information
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| Minute Man National Historic Park
Minute Man will be celebrating its 50th anniversary as a national park on National Public Lands Day. Volunteers will staff the day-long celebration from 10-4, and will host demonstrations of 18th Century activities including leatherworking, music, and agricultural activities. Recently rehabilitated structures along Battle Road will be open to the public – many for the first time. More Information
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| Pea Ridge National Military Park
The park will have volunteer service activities, followed by evening interpretive activities including ranger-led campfire talks, reenactments and a screening of the Ken Burns film. More Information
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| Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Volunteer activities at Paramount Ranch for National Public Lands Day on the 26th include installation of fencing, trail repair, litter cleanup and native plant restoration. The event will be held 9:00am – 1:00pm and 60 volunteers are expected. More Information
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| Shenandoah National Park
The park is anticipating more than 100 volunteers to assist with beautification, invasive species removal and litter cleanup. More Information
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| Stones River National Battlefield
Stones River is having a volunteer clean up event after a tornado moved through the park during the spring. They will also be removing invasive plant species. Following remarks about America’s Best Idea, service projects in the morning will be followed by a lunch donated by Wal-Mart for the 50-75 expected volunteers. More Information
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| Valley Forge National Historical Park
Valley Forge is holding a massive volunteer effort to celebrate National Public Lands Day. More than two hundred volunteers will spend the day building trails, cannon painting, removal of crayfish – an invasive species – from the river and more. The park will also host an environmental expo with booths ranging from the Audubon Society to Starbucks to help engage people in green community activities and businesses. More Information
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For a complete list of participating parks, visit www.nps.gov/september26.
