Junior Ranger Program Schedule for June 2012

 June 2, 2012 at 10:00 am

“Tales from the Trees” Junior Rangers will make leaf rubbings, take tree height measurements, and do tree aging.

 June 9, 2012 at 10:00 am

“Kaintuck Camping” Explore a “kaintuck” camp and learn about the gear the settlers carried with them on the Old Trace.

June 16, 2012 at 10:00 am

Saturday June 16, 2012 at 10:00 am

“Whose Track is That?”  Junior Rangers will make a plaster track to take home and learn to look for signs of wildlife.

June 23, 2012 at 10:00 am

“Wildland Fire” Find out what it’s like to be a wildland firefighter.  Use the tools and equipment and practice your firefighting skills.

 June 30, 2012 at 10:00 am

“Disappearing Act” Join a Park Ranger to learn all about animal camouflage and create your own disappearing creature! 

A list of Junior Ranger programs for the months of June and July can be obtained at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center at milepost 266 or by visiting the Parkway’s website at www.nps.gov/natr. For more information or to have a list mailed to you call 1-800-305-7417 or 662-680-4027.

TUPELO, MS – The Natchez Trace Parkway has been selected as one of 49 national parks participating in the 2012 America’s Best Idea program sponsored by the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. Inspired by the critically-acclaimed Ken Burns documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” the program funds park projects that connect diverse, under-engaged populations throughout the United States with their national parks in innovative and meaningful ways.

“We are proud to provide the much needed support to create unique opportunities for all Americans to personally connect with their national parks,” said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “The America’s Best Idea grants are often the catalyst for extraordinary experiences that develop into lifelong relationships with our national parks for the program participants.”

“The Natchez Trace Parkway is honored to be selected as a National Park Foundation grant recipient. The park strives to increase our outreach into our neighboring communities and we look forward to partnering with Bike Walk Mississippi to help accomplish that goal.” said Terry Wildy, Chief of Interpretation for the Natchez Trace Parkway.

During the fall of 2012, the Natchez Trace Parkway will partner with Bike Walk Mississippi and other community organizations to host a “Natchez Trace Trailfest” which will include ranger-led programs, stewardship-related activities, live music, and a host of activities along the Parkway’s Multiuse Trail in Ridgeland, Mississippi. The Natchez Trace Parkway looks forward to reaching out to communities adjacent to the Parkway by offering free, healthy, family-oriented activities within their national park.

About the National Park Foundation. The National Park Foundation recognizes the American people as the owners of 84 million acres of the world’s most treasured memorials, landscapes, ecosystems, and historic sites–all protected in America’s nearly 400 national parks. Chartered by Congress, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks. As partners, we work hand in hand with the National Park Service to connect all Americans to the parks, and to make sure that they are preserved for the generations who will follow. Join us in supporting your national parks—this is your land.

The National Park Service is entrusted with caring for America’s 397 national parks while partnering with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

The National Park Foundation and the Natchez Trace Parkway wish to thank L.L. Bean, DISNEY, the Anschutz Foundation, and the Ahmanson Foundation for their generous support of the America’s Best Idea program. For a full listing of participating parks, program descriptions, additional information on the National Park Foundation, or how you can support and protect America’s national parks, visit www.nationalparks.org.

This program is free to the public.  For additional information, please call the visitor center at: 662-680-4027 or 1-800-305-7417.

-NPS-

The Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge

One of the most popular spots of the Trace is the bridge that hovers over the Tennessee River. The Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge is the nation’s first segmental constructed concrete arch bridge. Spanning over 1600 feet, the double arch structure offers motorists a view from 150 feet above the valley floor and is one of the final links in the Natchez Trace Parkway project. The arches are designed to support the deck without evenly spaced columns, resulting in a picturesque appearance. 

A cyclist on the Natchez Trace.

The Natchez Trace is very cyclist friendly. There is no commercial traffic allowed, so this environment allows cyclists to be worry-free of semi-trucks, deliver trucks or dump trucks. There aren’t any stop signs or stop lights–simply pure beauty and the sounds of chirping birds and wind blowing through the trees. Access to the ramp is via on/off ramps which means there is no need to worry about cross traffic, as well. All of these perks make the Natchez Trace Parkway extremely important to the biking audience. 

Horseback Riding the Natchez Trace

You can also hike off of the Natchez Trace. Hiking trails and self-guided nature walks can be found along the entire length of the Parkway. Some of the short walks take you through some of the natural wonders found along the Trace. There are several places where you can walk a preserved section of the Old Trace. You can even horseback ride along the Natchez Trace. Four horse trails have been developed adjacent to the Parkway in Mississippi and Tennessee, in connection with the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. The Natchez Trace also provides access to the Witch Dance Horse Trail on the Tombigbee National Forest. 

Visit the Natchez Trace this spring and summer and enjoy all of the wonderful aspects of the Parkway. 

Dr. Gary D. Holdiness, age 54, from Kosciusko, was riding his bicycle south on the Parkway when he was struck by a Toyota FJ Cruiser, driven by a 17-year old male.  Holdiness was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Parkway was closed for nearly 4 hours and traffic was detoured as a Parkway traffic-accident reconstructionist analyzed the scene.  The investigation is expected to take several weeks to complete before a cause can be determined.  Agencies assisting with the accident and investigation include the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Attala County Sheriff’s Department and Coroner, and the Kosciusko Police Department.

This is the first bicycle-related fatality on the Natchez Trace Parkway since 2009.

In three separate programs, the four experts will provide background for visitors and discuss local politics, issues, and fears in the frontier land of Tennessee and the future states of Alabama and Mississippi in 1812.

“The Natchez Trace Parkway is honored that these four authorities on the War of 1812 will be coming to provide their expertise,” said Terry Wildy, Chief of Interpretation and Partnerships at the Natchez Trace Parkway.

“History makes much more sense when it is put into the context of the time,  and these speakers will be able to do that for us.”

James W. Parker, currently the Site Director for the Fort Toulouse/Fort Jackson State Historic Site near Montgomery, Alabama, will present “Borderland Background: An Overview of Emotions and Conditions Along the Gulf Borderlands” at 11:30 a.m. Parker is a published contributor to the Alabama Historical Commission, the Alabama Historical Association, the Alabama Archaeological Society, and several books.

Clay Williams and Mike Bunn will partner to present “The Smoldering Tinderbox: Prelude to the Creek War and the War of 1812” at 12:30 p.m. It is not their first collaboration; they are the co-authors of Battle for the Southern Frontier, the Creek War and the War of 1812. Williams, currently the Director of the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson, Mississippi, is also published in the Journal of Mississippi History and Mississippi Now. Bunn, the Executive Director of the Historic Chattahoochee Commission, curated numerous award-winning exhibitions while he was the Curator of History at the Columbus Museum. He and Williams are writing a book for the Heritage of Mississippi series, focusing on frontier Mississippi in the first half of the 1800s.

Dr. Tom Kanon, an archivist at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville, Tennessee, has been writing and speaking on topics related to the War of 1812 for the last 15 years. He will present “Indian/Settler Tensions on the Tennessee Frontier: The Martha Crawley Incident of 1812” at 1:30 p.m. Kanon is the recipient of the 2012 “Spirit of 1812” award, given by the Tennessee Daughters of the War of 1812 to the individual who has contributed the most to the research and preservation of the war. He hopes to have his recently completed draft of a book on Tennessee and the War of 1812 published in the near future.

These three programs will help visitors understand the perspectives of the people who lived on the frontier, preparing the public to immerse themselves in the living history programs presented throughout the weekend.

“Muster On the Natchez Trace” will be held Saturday, May 26, from 9:00 until 5:00, and Sunday, May 27, from 9:00 until 1:30, and is free to the public. The Gordon House Historic Site is located at milepost 407.7 on the Natchez Trace Parkway, approximately 12 miles west of Columbia, Tennessee.

The event is sponsored by the National Park Service, the 7th US Infantry Living History Association, the Natchez Trace Parkway Association, and the Tennessee War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee. For more information, please contact the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center at 1-800-305-7417, or visit www.nps.gov/natr.

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 397 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

The North Mississippi Dulcimer Association teaches dulcimer history, tradition, craftsmanship, and music by sharing its knowledge and talents. The Appalachian mountain dulcimer is the first instrument developed in the United States. Dating back to the early 1800s, the dulcimer is an instrument whose very name means “sweet sound.” The National Park Service and the North Mississippi Dulcimer Association invite everyone to listen to the soft sweet sounds of the dulcimer and learn of its extensive history.

This program is free.  For additional information, call 662-680-4027 or 1-800-305-7417.

After a short stint playing in the NFL, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes realized his lifelong dream of becoming a park ranger while continuing his passion for music. As a park ranger for Jean Lafitte NHP & Preserve and the New Orleans Jazz NHP, Bruce has been able to combine his love of nature and music in a unique setting. Bruce plays accordion, harmonica, and sings while also leading the band Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots which is based out of New Orleans, but performs on the international stage.

Park Ranger and soulful guitarist Matt Hampsey is well versed in many styles including jazz, gospel, and slide guitar. He is a former member of the Marine Band and graduate of the University of New Orleans Jazz Studies Program. Matt has played music professionally in New Orleans for the last 21 years and has worked at the New Orleans Jazz NHP for the last 12 years.

Bassist and vocalist Jen Maurer is the leader of the critically acclaimed zydeco band Mo’ Mojo. Jen also plays button accordion, flute, piano, and guitar while continuing to be a  prolific songwriter.

Gina Forsyth has played fiddle for many years in the Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band but has also released critically acclaimed albums under her own name, writing all her music, playing guitar, and singing.

Guest musician Sam Rettman will be featured on an old-time harmonica tune, and play the rub board.

The concert will begin with a short performance of Civil War-era songs by the North Mississippi Dulcimer Association and take place at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center located at milepost 266 on the Parkway near Tupelo, Mississippi.  This program is free to the public. For more information about this and other Parkway programs, please visit our website at www.nps.gov/natr or call 1-800-305-7417.

TUPELO, MS: The Natchez Trace Parkway has partnered with the 7th US Infantry Living History Association and the Natchez Trace Parkway Association in a multi-year effort to commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812. Through this partnership, the public may experience living history demonstrations based on actual events that occurred on or near the Natchez Trace.

• Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center at 1-800-305-7417
• Visit www.nps.gov/natr

The first event, to be held May 26 and 27, 2012, will be a commemoration of a muster day—a day when both regular and militia troops came together to train. It will be held at the Gordon House Historic Site (milepost 407.7 on the Natchez Trace Parkway), approximately 12 miles west of Columbia, Tennessee. The event, typical of muster days at the time, will include over 100 reenactors.  The days will include drills, historical weapons demonstrations, historical political debates, military and civilian living history camps, merchants, and more.

Cameron Sholly, Natchez Trace Parkway Superintendent, said, “Through the support of the 7th US Living History Association and the Natchez Trace Parkway Association, we will be able to commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812 in a dynamic, compelling manner. It will be a fitting tribute to the people who lived and traveled along the Natchez Trace, helping to win America’s second war for independence.”

The partnership is also planning a series of events in the remaining bicentennial years, 2013-2015. At least one event is expected to be held in each of the three states in which the Parkway is found: Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.

The 7th US Infantry Living History Association is an internationally recognized organization. It is dedicated to fostering awareness of the contributions made to this country by the 7th Regiment of United States Infantry, America’s most decorated combat infantry regiment. The living history association has been authorized to carry the battle colors of the current active-duty 7th US Infantry. For an active-duty regiment to bestow this honor is unprecedented.

The unit participates in living history events throughout the southeast, and recognizes the importance of national parks like the Natchez Trace Parkway in preserving history.

“This road, seen by many as only a scenic drive, was one of the most important byways in the development of early America. Our goal over the next three years is to introduce to our visitors many of the historic personages who traveled it 200 years ago,” said Colonel Steven Abolt, the 7th US Living History Association’s Commanding Officer. “They will be able to see how they grew from naïveté of 1812 to the seasoned veterans of 1815.”

The Natchez Trace Parkway Association, founded in 1934, was instrumental in the creation of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Today, it supports the Natchez Trace Parkway’s efforts to improve facilities and provide special events that will enhance the visitor experience on the Parkway.

“One of the reasons the Parkway was created was to preserve and interpret the story of the citizens who risked their lives … on the old Trace to fight for American independence during the War of 1812. The bicentennial events will bring that story to life in a way that will honor the people who served and that will help current generations appreciate the importance of the Natchez Trace in our nation’s history,” said Tony Turnbow, Natchez Trace Parkway Association President.

All Natchez Trace Parkway War of 1812 events will be free to the public, and are sponsored by the National Park Service, the 7th US Infantry Living History Association, and the Natchez Trace Parkway Association. For more information, please contact the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center at 1-800-305-7417, or visit www.nps.gov/natr.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 397 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

This program is free to the public. For more information about this and
other Parkway programs, please visit our website at www.nps.gov/natr, or
call 1-800-305-7417.

This program is free to the public.  For additional information, please call the visitor center at: 662-680-4027 or 1-800-305-7417.

-NPS-

Motorcyling the Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace Parkway is the ultimate motorcycle route. It’s a 444 mile historic road from Natchez, MS to Nashville, TN through beautiful scenery, curvy roads, history, interesting stops, minimal traffic, places to stay and good restaurants. What else could you ask for?

During this time of year, spring is the perfect time to hop on a motorcycle and take a relaxing drive on the Trace. The wildflowers are blooming and the trees and grass are a beautiful, bright green color. The weather is just right during the spring–warm enough to ride but not too hot yet.

Traffic is generally light and there are often more motorcycles on the road than vehicles. You don’t have to worry about stop signs or stop lights… just keep cruising, enjoy the scenery and the wind blowing through your hair. The Parkway is clean and smooth, so you won’t be tackling bumpy roads.

All along the Trace in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee you’ll find historical and nature attractions. Take a break, notice the gorgeous nature that surrounds you and learn a little history at the designated mileposts. Numerous side roads take you past antebellum and victorian homes, sunken roads, civil war battlefields and southern towns.

If you’re feeling hungry, restaurants are located just off the Trace in our corridor communities. Head to scenictrace.com, click Communities, then click on Restaurants under the community in which you would like to search.

Need a gasoline or a restroom? No problem! Restroom facilities are provided by the National Park Service about every twenty miles or so.

Mississippi:

• Mount Locust – restroom stop, milepost 15.5
• Coles Creek – restroom stop, milepost 17.5
• MS Hwy 18 in Port Gibson – gasoline/market, milepost 41.3
• Rocky Springs – restroom stop, milepost 54.8
• MS Hwy 467 in Raymond – gasoline/market, milepost 79
• Clinton Visitor’s Center on Pinehaven Road  – gasoline/market, milepost 89
• US Hwy 51 – gasoline/market, milepost 102.4
• MS Hwy 43 – gasoline/market, milepost 114.9
• River Bend – restroom stop, milepost 122.6
• Ratliff Ferry Road – gasoline/market, milepost 123.8
• MS Hwy 16 – gasoline/market, milepost 135.5
• MS Hwy 429 – gasoline/market, milepost 146.2
• Holly Hill – restroom stop, milepost 154.3
• Kosciusko Information Center – gasoline/market, milepost 159.8
• French Camp – Council House Café, milepost 180.7
• Jeff Busby – restroom and water only – market/gas station is closed, milepost 193.1
• MS Hwy 9 – gasoline/market at the exit, milepost 195.3
• US 82 – gasoline/market, milepost 204.2
• Witch Dance – restroom stop, milepost 233.2
• Pontocola Road/CR 506 – gasoline/market, milepost 251.6
• Palmetto Road (Verona exit) – gasoline/market, milepost 255.7
• MS Hwy 6/Main Street – gasoline/market, milepost 260.0
• McCullough Blvd. – gasoline/market, milepost 262.3
• Tupelo Visitor Center – restroom stop, milepost 266
• MS Hwy 363 – gasoline/market, milepost 270.7
• Pharr Mounds – restroom stop, milepost 286.7
• MS Hwy 25 – gasoline/market, milepost 302

Alabama:

• US 72 – gasoline/market, milepost 320.3
• Colbert Ferry – gasoline/market, milepost 327.3
• AL Hwy 14 – gasoline/market, milepost 331.9
• AL Hwy 20 – gasoline/market, milepost 337

Tennessee:

• TN Hwy 13 – gasoline/market, milepost 350.7
• TN Hwy 14 in Collinwood – gasoline/market, milepost 354.9
• Glenrock Branch – restroom stop, milepost 364.5
• US 64 – gasoline/market, milepost 370
• Jacks Branch – restroom stop, milepost 377.8
• TN Hwy 20 – gasoline/market, milepost 385.9
• Meriwether Lewis – restroom stop, milepost 385.9
• US 412 – Fall Hollow Market right at exit, milepost 392
• Jackson Falls – restroom stop, milepost 404.7
• Gordon House – restroom stop, milepost 407.7
• TN Hwy 50 – gasoline/markets, milepost 408
• Garrison Creek – restroom stop, milepost 427.5
• TN Hwy 46 in Leiper’s Fork – gasoline/market, milepost 42
• TN Hwy 100 – gasoline/market, milepost 444

In an emergency, call the National Park Service at 1-800-300-7275.

Enjoy your motorcycle ride on the beautiful Natchez Trace Parkway this spring!

All exhibitors and events will be outdoors and include:

• Terry Vandeventer’s educational, fun, live snake program:  “Snakes of Mississippi” at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
• Other exhibitors include the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Mississippi State University
• Wildlife Discovery hike along the Beech Springs Nature Trail
• Hands-on activities
• A special Junior Ranger Scavenger Hunt

This program is free to the public.  The Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center is located along the Parkway at milepost 266, just north of Tupelo, Mississippi.  For more information about this and other Parkway programs, please visit our website at www.nps.gov/natr, or call 1-800-305-7417.

The picnic area, pavilions, and hiking trails near Haynes Lake will be closed during the burn. The Tushka and Warrior Ridge disc golf courses will also be closed during the burn. All other park facilities will remain open. Visitors to the State Park and motorists along the Natchez Trace Parkway can expect to see fire and smoke during the controlled burn. 

 www.nps.gov/natr

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 397 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

This program is free to the public. For more information about this and other Parkway programs, please visit our website at www.nps.gov/natr, or call 1-800-305-7417.

The North Mississippi Dulcimer Association teaches dulcimer history, tradition, craftsmanship, and music by sharing its knowledge and talents. The Appalachian mountain dulcimer is the first instrument developed in the United States. Dating back to the early 1800s, the dulcimer is an instrument whose very name means “sweet sound.” The National Park Service and the North Mississippi Dulcimer Association invite everyone to listen to the soft sweet sounds of the dulcimer and learn of its extensive history.

This program is free.  For additional information, call 662-680-4027 or 1-800-305-7417.

Students of all ages who seek an appreciation of what the Natchez Trace Parkway represents will develop a better understanding of the people who carved the past, gave foundation to the present, and influenced our future. Every year National Park Service rangers are able to teach more and more people about its history through these programs.

In 2009, an educational project funded by a “Connect Trails to Parks” grants provided the opportunity for the NTP and the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail to reach into classrooms surrounding its 444-mile-long corridor. Over fifty curriculum-based lesson plans were developed.

Since then the NTP has received two additional “Connect Trails to Parks” grants. These grants have enabled rangers to work on engaging teachers in using the Natchez Trace as a teaching tool. Teacher-workshop sessions from Nashville, TN to Jackson, MS, have helped teachers learn about the Natchez Trace and how to use ranger-developed classroom lesson plans. The lesson plans, a teacher’s new guide, and a field trip planning suggestions are available on the Natchez Trace Parkway website: www.nps.gov/natr. New traveling trunk kits are also available for teachers to use in their classrooms.

In 2011, over 10, 000 students and teachers were reached by ranger-led education programs! Students from schools that had never visited the Trace were able to do so through field trip funding provided by the “Connect Trails to Parks” grants.

Educational programs are designed to ignite both students’ and teachers’ interests of the Parkway and its trails. The NTP provides healthy outdoor activities and offers opportunities to explore both cultural and natural history.

We encourage children and adults to attend the ranger-led programs throughout the year. Check out our Events Calendar to see dates and times. For more information about the educational programs, contact Jane Farmer 662-680-4015.

Credit: National Park Service