Clean the Bay Day 2010
Nancy Heltman
Saturday, June 5th is the 22nd Annual Clean the Bay Day sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
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Bear Creek Lake State Park Celebrates 70th Anniversary
Nancy Heltman
Saturday May 15th was a beautiful spring day and just perfect for Bear Creek Lake State Park's 70th Anniversary Celebration.
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Women's Wellness Weekend Participants Learn About Spinning
Nancy Heltman
As a child I enjoyed crocheting. It probably started with one of those pot holder weaving kits when I was even younger, but I enjoyed the feel of the yarn and the satisfaction of being creative.
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Tree Planting at Bear Creek Lake State Park
Zoe Rogers
On Friday, April 23rd, participants from Bear Creek Academy, the Friends Of Bear Creek Lake State Park, and park staff worked together to plant five trees in Bear Creek Lake State Park's picnic area.
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2010 Gathering in the Gap Songwriting Contest Finalists Announced
Erin Brockmann
For the first time, the “Gathering in the Gap” Music Festival, which takes place at the Southwest Virginia Museum on May 29, 2010, will include a new Songwriting Contest.
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Take Pride in Smith Mountain Lake Day
Nancy Heltman
Smith Mountain Lake State Park Boat Ramp saw extra business last Saturday, May 1st.
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New Officers for a New Friends Group
Nancy Heltman
The Friends of Bear Creek Lake State Park is one of Virginia State Parks newest Friends group.
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Bear Creek Lake State Park Celebrates 70 Years with Special Event May 15
Nancy Heltman
On May 15, Bear Creek Lake State Park will celebrate its 70th Anniversary along with the grand opening of the newly renovated trail system.
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Thank You, Odwalla!
Tom Cervenak
Many thanks to Odwalla and those who took part in its 2009 Plant a Tree program.
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Earth Day Celebration at Holliday Lake State Park
Sarah Lankford
On Saturday, April 24, 2010, Holliday Lake State Park celebrated Earth Day with a special tree planting ceremony.
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Chesapeake Nature Benefits from Earth Day Efforts
Cyndi Juarez
A little bad weather didn’t stop the volunteers at Leesylvania State Park from doing their best for Earth Day.
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State Park Employee Recruited by Military
Tom Cervenak
I am the Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks and was asked by Fort A.P. Hill to come to their Earth Day celebration on Thursday, April 22 to share with school groups and military families some...
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Virginia State Parks Goes Hollywood!
Tom Cervenak
Virginia State Parks has joined in a partnership with several agencies including, Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries, Virginia Tourism and numerous County Tourism Agencies to promote fishing in Southwest Virginia.
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Douthat State Park Celebrated Earth Day
Jaimie Lomasney
Local schools were invited to participate in Douthat State Park’s Twelfth Annual Earth Day Celebration which was held on Friday, April 16, 2010.
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Wilderness Road to host Odwalla Tree Planting / Earth Day Event!
Michael Brindle
Spring is nearing full bloom here at Wilderness Road State Park and thanks to the Odwalla Plant a Tree program, we are happy to be able to host ...
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No Project is Too Big for Friends Group
Zoe Rogers
The Friends of Pocahontas State Park will host a weekend-long volunteer event Saturday, April 24th and Sunday, April 25th at Pocahontas State Park.
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Odwalla donates funds to purchase trees in Virginia State Parks
Annette Bareford
Odwalla donates funds to purchase trees in area State Parks through a national internet competition in which Virginia State Parks came in second.
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A Stitch In Time - Quilt Show at Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park
Erin Brockmann
When many people think of a quilt, they envision something that you throw on a bed to help keep warm on a wintery night or something you cuddle up under when you’re under the weather.
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Top 5 Reasons to Attend the Women's Wellness Weekend at Fairy Stone State Park
Amy Atwood
Think about it, you deserve a little more “me” time.
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Park Hero
Nancy Heltman
Jim and Patti Gerhart, members of the Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park, submitted this great story
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Kiptopeke State Park Playground
Sam Sweeney
Looking for a change in venue now that spring has finally come to the Eastern Shore of Virginia?
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Rain Barrel Workshop a Success for Wilderness Road
Michael Brindle
A warm 70-degree afternoon set the perfect Spring stage for our first-ever rain barrel workshop at Wilderness Road State Park
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The New River Trail
Nancy Heltman
What is 57 miles long and parallels an American Heritage River for 39 miles? New River Trail State Park.
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Kiptopeke State Park Reforestation
Sam Sweeney
Kiptopeke State Park, Natural Heritage and Chesapeake Bay Foundation teamed together today planting trees and shrubs creating wildlife habitat while conserving natural resources.
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Alternative Spring Breaks-Kiptopeke State Park
Sam Sweeney
Every college student dreams of sandy beaches and warm sunshine for spring break, but there are some that put service to their communities above this thought.
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Amanda Robinson, First Landing Maintenance Ranger Nominated for Tourism Award
Staci Martin
National Tourism Week is May 8-16, 2010 and as part of the celebration, the City of Virginia Beach is hosting the Virginia Beach National Tourism Week Hospitality Awards on Friday, May 7th.
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Visit Chippokes Plantation State Park for Historic Garden Week
Staci Martin
It is the 77th anniversary of the Virginia Garden Club premier event: Historic Garden Week. Once again, Chippokes Plantation State Park in Surry, Virginia will be a featured site during the event
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Hungry Mother State Park Hosts Alternative Spring Break Group
Amy Atwood
March brings many things like longer days and more sunshine. It also means it is spring break time. One group of college students is spending their spring break at Hungry Mother State Park volunteering.
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Rain Barrel Workshop Set for March 20 at Wilderness Road State Park
Michael Brindle
Spring is just a short time away and many people are already planning their vegetable and flower gardens. Their biggest obstacle throughout the year is water or, to be more precise, lack thereof.
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Alternative Spring Break Group Coming to Claytor Lake State Park
Jaimie Lomasney
A trip to the beach or manual labor doing work around a Virginia State Park? That is the choice 11 college students are making for their spring break this year.
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Fairy Stone State Park Women's Wellness Weekend
Jaimie Lomasney
Girls weekends are one of my favorite adventures because you never know where you’ll end up or who’ll you’ll meet, which is the fun of the weekend anyway.
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Snow Shenandoah Style
Cyndi Juarez
The crew at Shenandoah River State Park has got to be looking forward to spring!
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Smith Mountain Lake State Park
Kristen Uerz
My most recent state park visit was to Smith Mountain Lake State Park at the beginning of December. My husband and I got married on December 5, 2009 and spent our honeymoon at Smith Mountain Lake.
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Friends Group Supports Sailor's Creek in a Big Way
Nancy Heltman
Our Friends Groups are all about supporting our state parks. The Friends of Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park demonstrated their support for the park by donating funds they have raised in support of two important projects.
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NEW RIVER TRAIL STATE PARK ADDS TO ATTENDANCE RECORD FOR 2009
Jaimie Lomasney
New River Trail State Park added to the increase in visitation with 960,096 visitors in 2009, up 8,104 visitors from 2008.
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Couple take parks to heart
Rob Hedelt
Spotsylvania couple active in projects, new technology for state parks here and elsewhere
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Rivers Flood
Nancy Heltman
In the last two weeks, we have experienced some flooding at two of our river parks.
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Master Naturalist Basic Training
Nancy Heltman
The Virginia Master Naturalist Program is a statewide corps of volunteers providing education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities.
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There's a new watering hole at First Landing State Park
Staci Martin
With generous donations of $1,500 from Tidewater Striders Running Club and $2,500 from Tidewater Fibre Corporation, First Landing State Park has installed a multi-functional drinking fountain at the 64th Street/Narrows entrance parking area.
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400,000 Acres Protected in Four Years
Nancy Heltman
Governor Kaine announced that his ambitious goal to conserve 400,000 acres in the Commonwealth was reached at the new Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center near Charlottesville on Friday, January 8th.
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State buys Biscuit Run. Once OK’d for homes, property will become park.
Brian Wheeler - Charlottesville Tomorrow
The Biscuit Run property in Albemarle County has been acquired by the Commonwealth of Virginia for $9.8 million for use as a future state park.
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Interview with Lynn Davis
VSP
A discussion with Lynn Davis about the Virginia Association For Parks.
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Happy Holidays!
Nancy Heltman
Happy Holidays to all our park visitors, reguar readers and folks who just stumble on this post. Enjoy this pictorial of Virginia State Park snow pictures!
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New Visitor Center at Smith Mountain Lake State Park
Nancy Heltman
Thanks to the 2002 State Parks and Natural Area Bond, we have had a number of new and significantly remodeled visitor centers opening.
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Hundreds Gather at Wilderness Road for Christmas Events
Michael Brindle
Hundreds of visitors traveled to Wilderness Road State Park on December 4th and 5th to witness Christmas Past and Present, a unique look at our most popular holiday.
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Many Hands Make Light Work
Pat Eastwood
Several members of the Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes (BRFAL) Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist Program recently installed new interpretive signs along the Oak Hickory Trail at Fairy Stone State Park.
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Douthat State Park Ornament Making Contest
Jaimie Lomasney
Douthat State Park is offering an ornament making contest for students through Monday, December 14, 2009.
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First Annual Leesylvania Turkey Trot
Virginia State Parks Visitors
If you were in Leesylvania State Park on the morning of Saturday, November 21, you might have seen a sight that is increasingly rare these days: children having fun while being active outside.
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Give the Gift of Virginia State Parks
Nancy Heltman
If you are a shopping hater like me, or have folks on your gift list that love Virginia State Parks, we have cyber options for you!
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Festival of Trees at Southwest Virginia Museum
Erin Brockmann
Touring the Southwest Virginia Museum this time of year is like walking through a holiday wonderland.
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New River Trail Foster Falls Festival of Lights Scheduled
Jaimie Lomasney
The Sixth Annual Foster Falls Festival of Lights at New River Trail State Park is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Foster Falls Village.
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First Leesylvania Turkey Trot
Cyndi Juarez
Leesylvania Elementary school children were invited to get outside and experience Northern Virginia nature on Nov. 21, 2009 at the Turkey Trot.
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The Best of Virginia State Parks - Forrest Gladden
Virginia State Parks
State Parks Director Joe Elton talks with staff from Virginia’s National Award Winning State Parks.
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Virginia Association for Parks Web Site Rennovation
Johnny Finch
Johhny Finch, President, Virginia Association for Parks (VAFP) announces rennovation of VAFP website, its new companion virginiaoutdoors.net and dates and location for the 2010 Spring Conference.
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National Public Lands Day Saturday, Sept 26th, 2009
Luanne Lochner
National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy.
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The Shenandoah River State Park Cleanup-The results are in!
Cyndi Juarez
26 state park volunteers participating, two fantastic canoe companies, our Park's chief ranger and two other rangers, and even an ace reporter from the Warren County report collected 1340 lb of trash from the river.
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Helping Children to Experience Nature
Ellen Smith
National Park Service and Virginia State Parks getting together to take on the collective challenge to get our children and families in to the outdoors.
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YCC Program at Claytor Lake and New River Trail State Park
Jaimie Lomasney
A crew of ten participants were chosen from current high school students 14 to 17 years-old who demonstrated an interest in protecting Virginia’s environment.
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Be Wild Featuring Adrienne Young
VADGIF
A video about the Virginia Wildlife Action Plan, recently developed by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries with the goal of conserving wildlife before they become more rare.
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