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Native American History Comes Alive in the Park, Plus Seasonal Visitor Center Hours Change
September 5, 2015 - September 7, 2015
It’s not often that we get to step back in time, but that will happen this weekend in New River Gorge National River. Join the living history interpreters of Trails Inc. as they demonstrate American Indian survival skills from the 1700s at the Sandstone Visitor Center on Saturday. This is one of several programs in parks this weekend. All ranger programs are FREE unless otherwise noted. Wear comfortable walking shoes for guided walks. Water, snacks, camera, and binoculars are other useful tools to bring along. Below is a list of this weekend’s featured ranger programs in area national parks, plus news about other happenings in and near the park.
Saturday, September 5, 2015:
Bluestone Walk
10:00 am – 11:30 am. Meet at the base of Pipestem Resort State Park tramway. 2 mile walk. Walk within Bluestone National Scenic River for a mile and return. Along the way, enjoy the flora and fauna of the area and discover regional history. Bring $2.25 for the return tram ride.
Survival: 18th Century Eastern Woodland Indian Survival Techniques
10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Meet at the Sandstone Visitor Center. Step back in time to the 1700s as living history interpreters share survival skills of the Eastern Woodland Indians, including Shawnee, Delaware, Mingo, and Cherokee, as well as their predecessors of prehistoric times. Topics will include useful wild plants and animal products, tools (stone, bone, and wood), and survival skills of that time, such as finding water, making fire, and making shelter.
- 3:00 pm: Ostenaco, a Cherokee War Leader. Take council with this historic leader and hear how his army survived the difficult winter campaign of 1756-57. Ostenaca will be portrayed (first-person living history) by Doug Wood of the West Virginia Humanities Council’s History Alive! program.
Historic Thurmond Tour
11:00 am – 12:00 pm. Meet at the Thurmond Depot Visitor. 0.5 mile walk. What was life like in one of the New River Gorge’s most renowned towns? Meet a ranger in Thurmond’s historic district for an informal tour of this once bustling railroad town, hearing stories of days gone by.
Sunday, September 6, 2015:
Historic Thurmond Tour
11:00 am – 12:00 pm. Meet at the Thurmond Depot Visitor. 0.5 mile walk. What was life like in one of the New River Gorge’s most renowned towns? Meet a ranger in Thurmond’s historic district for an informal tour of this once bustling railroad town, hearing stories of days gone by.
Ranger’s Choice: Wildlife of the New River Gorge
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm. Meet at Canyon Rim Visitor Center in Lansing. Come and go as you please for this informal hands-on talk with a ranger. See how fur and bones make each animal unique.
There are several ways to celebrate the arts around the parks this weekend too. Stop by Tamarack in Beckley to see the 2015 Hidden History Photo Contest exhibit. With twenty-seven heritage-based images on display this month, this annual contest provides an opportunity for West Virginia amateur adult and youth photographers to capture hidden and not-so-hidden elements of southern West Virginia’s history. These photos are on display in the vestibule directly across the hall from the David L. Dickirson Fine Art Gallery or can be viewed online at www.nps.gov/neri. Tamarack is open daily 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Park volunteer and “Resident Artist” Cecil Glenn Runions, will also be using history and nature as a source of artistic inspiration in the park on weekends. Call Sandstone Visitor Center (304-466-0417) to find out where this artist will be painting to see Runions in action, creating art in the plein air style (paintings created outside using natural light).
This weekend marks the change of season at some park visitor centers too. After Sunday, September 6, the visitor center at Grandview will be closed for the season, while Thurmond Depot will be open weekends only (10:00 am to 5:00 pm) through the October 25, 2015. Canyon Rim Visitor Center in Lansing and Sandstone Visitor Center in Sandstone remain open daily 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
For more information about area National Park Service sites visit: http://www.nps.gov/neri, http://www.facebook.com/
About the National Park Service
EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA
The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage. For more information about the National Park Service, visit http://www.nps.gov.
Photo Caption: Living history interpreters demonstrate life-ways of 1700s Eastern Woodland Indians. Photo courtesy of Doug Wood.
