Media Advisory: Battlefields and Historic Sites Seek Volunteers for 20th Annual Park Day
(Washington, D.C.) – Thousands of volunteers across the country will team up with the Civil War Trust to help clean and restore dozens of landmarks as part of Park Day, a nationwide effort that includes more than 125 historic sites in 29 states. In 2016, Park Day celebrates its twentieth year on Saturday, April 2.
The Trust’s nationwide clean-up effort has ballooned since its conception in 1996, to nearly 8,000 volunteers in 2015. Park Day brings history enthusiasts together to help keep our nation’s heritage not only preserved, but pristine.
Participating sites select activities tailored to their individual maintenance needs, such as raking leaves, hauling trash, painting signs and planting trees. Volunteers of all ages and ability levels are welcome, and many activities are appropriate for groups, like scout troops or corporate outings.
Some sites will provide lunch or refreshments to volunteers, and a local historian may be available to describe the park’s significance. Volunteers will also receive T-shirts. For a complete list of participating Park Day sites, visit civilwar.org/parkday. Volunteers can participate in Park Day online using #ParkDay2016.
WHAT: Park Day historic preservation event
WHEN: April 2, 2016
WHERE: More than 125 participating sites in 29 states
The Civil War Trust is the largest and most effective nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation of America’s hallowed battlegrounds. Although primarily focused on the protection of Civil War battlefields, through its Campaign 1776 initiative, the Trust also seeks to save the battlefields connected to the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. To date, the Trust has preserved close to 43,000 acres of battlefield land in 23 states.
The Civil War Preservation Trust became the Civil War Trust in January 2011; the Civil War Trust became a division of the American Battlefield Trust in May 2018. Campaign 1776 was created in 2014 as an initiative of the Civil War Trust; in May 2018 it became the Revolutionary War Trust, a division of the American Battlefield Trust.