Thursday, March 22, 2018

Volunteers Needed to Clean Up Virginia Battlefields and Historic Sites

Civil War Cannon
"Battery Heights in Manassas National Battlefield"
(C) Allen Pearson

Once you've adopted a dog and brought them into your family, the pawssiblities are endless as to the fun you can have going places and doing things together.

In a few weeks, many Virginia volunteers will aid in the maintenance and restoration of numerous historic sites as part the Park Day sponsored by the Civil War Trust. The date is April 7, 2018! This year's event will be the largest yet with 160 historic sites in 32 states and the District of Columbia participating.

WOOF!! Last year on Park Day, my human and I learned that dogs could attend events with their humans. The event closest to us was the Manassas National Battlefield's "Clean-Up" Day. Dogs must be leashed and under the control of their humans. If you are interested in taking your human to one of these events, be pawsitive to have your human confirm the activity is suitable as some maintenance days may not be! WOOF!!

Volunteers interested in participating in Park Day are encouraged to contact the individual sites listed below. Activities are chiefly outdoor jobs that range from raking leaves and collecting trash to painting signs and gardening. Volunteers will receive T-shirts, and some sites will provide lunch or refreshments. A local historian may also be on hand to detail the park’s significance.

Starting times vary at each site. Virginia volunteers may sign up at the following locations:

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Appomattox, 2:30 p.m.
Contact: Alyssa Holland at Alyssa_Holland@nps.gov. Volunteers will place 4,600 luminaries on the Lynchburg-Richmond Stage Road in honor of the battle’s 153rd Anniversary. Water will be provided.

Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park, Leesburg, 9:00 a.m.
Contact: Ben Bilko at bbilko@nvrpa.org. Volunteers will help with landscaping, clearing brush, and trash removal. Water and snacks will be provided.

Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown, 9:00 a.m.
Contact: Kristen Laise at klaise@bellegrove.org.  Staff will need assistance with building and repairing fences as well as painting. Volunteers will be oriented to the site and be allowed to take a guided tour of the Manor House that day or receive passes to visit another day. Snacks and water will be provided.

Brandy Station Foundation (Graffiti House), Brandy Station, 8:30 a.m.
Contact: Eugene Hankinson at eugenehankinson@aol.com. Volunteers will assist with tidying the porch, clearing brush, landscaping, removing trash, and maintaining trails. Water and snacks will be provided, and tours of the house and battlefields will be available.

Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park, Bristow, 8:00 a.m.
Contact: Bill Backus at bbackus@pwcgov.org. Help is needed repairing and building fences, removing trash, and repairing a Civil War hut. Snacks and water will be provided.

Cedar Mountain Battlefield, Rapidan, 8:30 a.m.
Contact: Diane Logan at info@friendsofcedarmountain.org
Volunteers will assist with maintenance in Headquarters House, repairing or building fences, clearing brush, and removing trash. Water and snacks will be provided.

Endview Plantation, Newport News, 10:00 a.m.
Contact: Laura Willoughby at lwilloughby@nnva.gov. Volunteers will receive a complimentary tour of the historic house museum after helping with trash removal, landscaping, trail maintenance, and clearing brush. Water will be provided.

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Locust Grove, 9:00 a.m.
Contact: Kevin Hunt at hockeyminga@aol.com. Help is needed raking leaves, painting, repairing fences, clearing brush, landscaping, and removing trash. Ellwood Manor and Chatham will be open for tours during the day. Coffee, water and snacks will be provided.

Germanna Foundation, Locust Grove, 9:00 a.m.
Contact: Ashley Abruzzo at aabruzzo@germanna.org. Assistance is needed for window washing, dusting, picking up weeds and debris, and painting. Volunteers can stay after and tour the visitor center or enjoy walking trails in the Siegen Forest. Beverages and snacks will be provided.

Historic Sandusky, Lynchburg, 9:00 a.m.
Contact: Greg Starbuck at Starbuck@Lynchburg.edu. Help is needed clearing brush, landscaping, panting, removing trash, and cleaning windows and exhibit cases. A tour of the house and museum will be available for volunteers. Water and snacks will be provided.

Kernstown Battlefield, Winchester, 9:30 a.m.
Contact: Steve Cantu at sacantu78@gmail.com. Volunteers will be asked to help with painting, landscaping, planting, and cleaning. The site will also offer a tour of the Kernstown Battlefield, site of the First and Second Battles of Kernstown. Water and snacks will be provided.

Liberia Plantation, Manassas, 9:00 a.m.
Contact: Christen Fox at cfox@manassasva.gov. Help is needed with tidying the outdoor areas, including clearing brush, removing trash, and maintaining trails. Tours of the Liberia Plantation house will be offered to volunteers at the end of the cleanup. Snacks will be provided.

Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, 8:30 a.m.
Contact: Henry Elliot at Henry_Elliot@nps.gov. Work will include trail maintenance, repairing or building fences, clearing brush, and removing trash. The site will also offer walking tours of Henry Hill.

Mount Zion Historic Park, Aldie, 10:00 a.m.
Contact: Tracy Gillespie at tgillespie@nvrpa.org. Volunteers will be asked to help with dusting and sweeping the interior of the church, washing windows, landscaping, removing trash, and maintaining trails. A local historian will provide an overview of the church's history and lead a walk on the adjacent Old Carolina Road. Water and snacks will be provided.

Pamplin Historical Park and The National Museum of The Civil War Soldier, Petersburg, 1:00 p.m.
Contact: Chris Banchero at cbancero@pamplinpark.org. Volunteers will help with landscaping and clearing brush. Water will be provided. (Note: This Park Day site is holding its event on Saturday, April 14, 2018.)

Petersburg National Battlefield, Petersburg, 8:30 a.m.
Contact: Betsy Dinger at Elizabeth_Dinger@nps.gov. Help is needed with trash removal, sign cleaning, trail maintenance, and painting. Water and snacks will be provided. (Note: This Park Day site is holding its event on Saturday, April 14, 2018.)

Trevilian Station Battlefield, Trevilians, 9:00 a.m.
Contact: Katherine Stiles at 1earlyhouse@gmail.com. Volunteers will assist with building and repairing fences, clearing brush, landscaping, trash removal, cleaning and painting. History and updates on the Trevilian House, as well as a meal, will be provided.

Richmond National Battlefield Park - Gaines' Mill Battlefield, Mechanicsville, 9:00 a.m.
Contact: Kristen Allen at kristen_allen@nps.gov. Volunteers will help clear brush. Water will be provided.

Virginia Museum of the Civil War, New Market, 9:00 a.m.
Contact: Troy Marshall at marshalltd@vmi.eduStaff will need help with painting marker posts on the battlefield. At the conclusion of the program, staff interpreters will provide two interpretive programs: a guided tour of the battlefield for adults and an interactive program for families and children. Water and snacks will be provided.

The Civil War Trust is a national nonprofit land preservation organization devoted to the protection of America’s hallowed battlegrounds. It saves the battlefields of the Civil War, the Revolutionary War and War of 1812, and educates the public about their importance in forging the nation we are today. To date, the Trust has preserved over 48,000 acres of battlefield land in 24 states, including 24,786 acres in Virginia. Learn more at Civilwar.org.

""Brawner Farm, Manassas National Battlefield Park"
(C) Allen Pearson


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