Infos querbeet zu NPs, NMs, SPs, etc.

Did You Know South Dakota Is Home To One Of The Oldest National Parks In The US?

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Let’s be real for a second here: South Dakota isn’t exactly the most-visited state in the country. It’s one of the northernmost spots in the nation, and all too often, it gets overlooked in favor of other more popular Midwestern states. However, this is truly a tragedy, as it means that there are an enormous amount of people out there who have never experienced what this amazing place has to offer. Take, for example, a breathtaking natural wonder located just 10 miles north of the small town of Hot Springs. This is easily one of my favorite places, and much to our (as in all of South Dakota’s) pride and joy, it’s one of the oldest National Parks in the U.S.

Upon first arrival, the park appears as stunningly beautiful, rolling prairie with endless blue skies above and countless wonders down below.

It's actually the largest natural mixed grass prairie left on the planet, and that's not all. From here, one would never guess that underneath their feet lies the very first cave to be designated a National Park in the world... and plenty of wonders within.

Wind Cave National Park was established in January of 1903 by then-president Teddy Roosevelt, who notably had a soft spot in his heart for both Dakotas.

It came as the sixth National Park in the US, and today, it's an astonishing look at the incredible processes that take place deep (and I mean DEEP) within the earth.

Well, it's currently the seventh-longest cave in the world, with 154.2 miles of known, charted passages (as of the last survey in 2021, anyway... it could easily be more by now).

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Lakeview Drive road construction project to conclude this spring

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with funding from the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund, will finish the approximate $15.7 million repair and rehabilitation of Lakeview Drive that started last year. Work will begin April 8 and is expected to end in early July.

Project at a glance:

Final paving of the 6.5-mile road.

Paving and sidewalk construction in the Noland Creek trailhead parking area, including Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standard (ABAAS) accessible parking.

Deck repair on the Noland Creek Bridge.

Rehabilitation of road shoulders. Throughout the project, visitors should expect temporary single-lane closures. Noland Creek Bridge will be closed April 15 to April 18 while crews repair the bridge deck. Parking will be available at Noland Creek trailhead during the closure. Noland Creek cemetery will also be accessible.

The work is part of a parkwide Great American Outdoors Act project to rehabilitate Lakeview Drive, Newfound Gap Road, Heintooga Ridge Road and Balsam Mountain Campground Road.

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Japan to donate 250 new cherry blossom trees to U.S.

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Japan will donate 250 new cherry blossom trees to the United States, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at his welcome ceremony at the White House on Wednesday.

Some 3,700 cherry blossom trees at the Tidal Basin that were donated by the city of Tokyo in 1912 are a symbol of the friendship between Japan and the United States.

A senior U.S. official said that "the two most important gifts that countries have given the United States over the course of our existence: one would be the Statue of Liberty, and the second might be the gift, 110 years ago from Japan, of the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin."

The U.S. National Park Service last month said that 158 of the cherry trees will be cut down to reconstruct a seawall around the Tidal Basin.

Kishida said, "When I heard that some of the trees would be replaced...I decided to send 250 new cherry trees to commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States."

U.S. President Joe Biden said the new trees will be planted near the Martin Luther King Memorial. "Like our friendship, these trees are timeless, inspiring, and thriving," he stated.

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Blackstone River Valley NHP

First Strike Festival at Old Slater Mill – 200 Year Anniversary

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Pawtucket, Rhode Island— On Saturday, May 11, 2024, the public is invited to the First Strike Festival at Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Come for a day of live music, history, and family friendly fun. Hosted at 67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI, from 12:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. This is a free event.

In 1824, one hundred women weavers walked out of textile mills in the village of Pawtucket, beginning the first industrial labor strike in United States history. The National Park Service commemorates this strike with an annual festival, now in its third year. All are invited to see new mini exhibits in honor of the 200th anniversary of this event, to tour the historic mill, and to spend the day enjoying the grounds at Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark. Bring a blanket and picnic, play old time games, and relax with performances from singers, songwriters, and dancers.

Pawtucket-based singer-songwriter J. Michael Graham will serve as the MC for First Strike. He will be followed by the award-winning singer Kim Moberg, whose set will begin at 12:30 P.M. Students from the Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Pawtucket, RI) will follow Moberg with a dance inspired by the 1824 women strikers at 1:30 P.M. The Mystic Garland Dancers will perform at 2:00 P.M. and rally the audience for a May Pole Dance. Connecticut State Troubadour Kala Farnham will perform at 2:45 P.M. Don’t miss live spinning demonstrations and other outdoor fun throughout the day.

Throughout the day, park rangers will offer free tours and labor history talks inside and outside of Slater Mill. Tours of the mill (limited to 25 persons) will be offered at 10:30 A.M, 12:30 P.M., and 2:30 P.M. Visitors are also encouraged to listen to a Labor History Talk with a ranger (offered on the hour, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 P.M.) or hear a longer open-air presentation about the 1824 strike at 11:30 A.M. or 3:30 P.M. All are encouraged to check out partner tables with staff from the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Everyday Anthropology, Wedges of Time, RI Labor History Society, RI Spinners Guild, and the URI Master Gardeners.

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