Because of You…
Volunteers at Work on the Parkway Page 2
We are Reaching Our Children! Page 3
Letter from FRIENDS President Page 4
Fall 2016
High Vistas Journal The newsletter for members of FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway
A Message From Our Park Superintendent
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ne Hundred Years! The National Park Service turns 100 on August 25, 2016. 100 years of stewardship of America’s treasured landscapes and compelling moments in history. 100 years of introducing these treasures to visitors of all ages. 100 years of caring. What will the next 100 years look like?
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The National Park Service turns 100 on August 25, 2016!
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What we know well on the Blue Ridge Parkway is that when people care about a special place, they take action and that action makes the Parkway a much better place
for us now and for future generations. FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway puts this ethic into practice every day of the year. For FRIENDS’ generous support of Blue Ridge Parkway interns (six this year alone!), its relationship with higher education institutions across the country providing Alternative Break opportunities for college students, its network of tireless chapter volunteers who work hand and glove with our staff across the Parkway, and countless other ways that FRIENDS has shown its commitment to the Parkway throughout the years, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude.
The Parkway volunteers’ priceless service is making a difference for today and for the future of our park. Our partnership with FRIENDS to support the volunteers and their efforts is to be applauded. Your service is greatly appreciated. Thank you FRIENDS members for supporting our Blue Ridge Parkway volunteers! What will the next 100 years look like? Just take a look at the important work of FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway in support of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Mark Woods, Park Superintendent, National Park Service, Blue Ridge Parkway
ON THE PARKWAY – YOUR VOLUNTEERS AT W How Your Membership Is Making A Difference! You Supported Johnson Farm – An Update
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istorical restoration work to save Johnson Farm was done by volunteers scraping and repainting the siding of the farm house. Their efforts have been on-going for a few years, engaging students from Elon College and countless community supporters. Their work is paying off! In addition, Parkway visitors like yourself are also provided the opportunity to do some light work, such as raking leaves, to engage in volunteer projects and provide visitors a sense of ownership for this site.
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This is such a great collection of folks that have been working tirelessly to care for the Johnson Farm; their joined efforts have kept the stories of the farm alive. A special thanks to all of our Parkway volunteers!
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– Peter Hamel, Ridge District Interpreter, Blue Ridge Parkway, National Park Service (BRP, NPS)
This project quickly grew into a much larger volunteer based project with the help of Ranger Jon Holter. As a result, wood for siding and reroofing was obtained, cured, and applied to the farmhouse with funding supporting the effort coming from FRIENDS members! Historical preservation of native tree species and protection of said habitats are vital to 2
What Park Volunteers Have to Say “I love helping to clean up the signs for the 100th anniversary of our park. Millions of Parkway visitors will have a good impression of our park, by my small volunteer effort ~ love making a difference through FRIENDS!” – Libby Wilcox
This is a “before” photo of the farmhouse that is used to host school programs. our park and you, our members, for the future. This year’s volunteer efforts involved planting the garden, repainting an existing fence at this historical site, and replanting at least one heirloom variety apple tree. The heirloom apple tree project has been funded by the FRIENDS members and involves taking new growth from trees at Johnson Farm and grafting it to healthy rootstock to produce the same genetic variety of trees originally grown at the farm. Danny Johnson, of Johnson’s Orchard, volunteered his time and expertise to this project and has been training the grafted tree for 2 years. It should be ready to replant this year.
“As I stand at the gate of the Humpback Rocks Farm as folks leave the Sunday afternoon concerts and they thank us for sponsoring the music, I’m so gratified to be part of bringing ‘real’ music in such a beautiful setting to so many people young and old.” – Latane Long “Since a lot of us were farmers, no one had a lot of money. Growing up, the Parkway was all we had. That’s where you went for graduations, picnics…for everything. I was part of starting the first Chapter of FRIENDS and I am proud at how much it has grown over the years, especially as we reflect on the 100th anniversary of our parks.” – Mary Guynn “Whenever we work a project on the BRP, it’s always gratifying to see the visitors smile, wave, and thank us for our efforts.” – Roland Leibl “When on the BRP, for leisure or volunteering, it regenerates my spirit and stokes the desire to keep and maintain it as a restorative resource for my local community.” – Kyle Edgell
FRIENDS 469-Mile Club
Are you a member of FRIENDS 469-Mile Club by traveling by car, motorcycle, bicycle or on foot from the Smoky Mountains to Shenandoah National Park? If you wish to join, visit our website at this link: www. FriendsBRP.org/discover-the-parkway/469-award FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway
T WORK
You support the efforts of over 2.3 million dollars of volunteer service! Thank You!
Volunteers are giving back to your park … Celebrate their service this 100th Anniversary of our Parks! These are the “living stories” of the priceless efforts of our Blue Ridge Parkway volunteers in action.
Reaching Our Children
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our membership supported over 300 students attending the Blue Ridge Music Center Parks As Classroom Program, “Come Sing, Dance and Play,” in 2015. The program is designed to meet the Standards of Learning for the 3rd and 4th grade classes in both North Carolina and Virginia. This curriculum based program consists of several
educational “stations” and the students move from station to station every 30 minutes. Due to staffing limitations, this program can only be offered over a two day period per year and space is reserved on a first come first served basis. Unfortunately, several schools had to be turned away. Together, we work to provide additional support for these programs to reach more students in the future. Park-wide, you have made a difference through FRIENDS to support the Junior Ranger Programs for children ages 5- 12; thank you! The numbers are not in for 2016, but in 2015, you reached over 3,000 children through this program throughout the park! FRIENDS network of chapters have joined our members to
support many parkway projects like Family Nights Programs in Asheville, North Carolina. These presentations are comprised of information and hands on activities that help parents and children become more interested and involved in the outdoors with topics including: bears, bees and pollinators, pioneer games and ‘Talk Like An Animal’ led in a safe rangersupervised setting.
Blue Ridge Parkway Gardens
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aturalization of plants and trees indigenous to their Parkway localities is a story volunteers are bringing to life making the Parkway a “living rural museum,” thanks to you. Along with the restoration of the apple orchard with a species of heirloom apple tree at Johnson Farm, historical Parkway gardens are being reestablished by local community volunteers inspired by FRIENDS Chapters. Again this year, the gardens at Mabry Mill and Brinegar Cabin are coming alive due to the tremendous support of volunteers. In addition to providing
www.FriendsBRP.org
and maintaining the flower boxes at the Rocky Knob Visitor Center, the volunteers planted donated seeds. At Brinegar Cabin volunteers grew crops including: flax, sorghum, tomatoes, squash, beans and traditional herbs. Volunteers donated the excess food produced from the garden to a local foodbank. In 2015, approximately 20 gallons of pole beans and 12-15 lbs of squash were grown and donated. At Humpback Rocks Farm, twenty Nelson County Master Gardeners planted, watered, weeded, and interacted with the Continued on bottom of page 4. 3
Dear FRIENDS Members and Volunteers,
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ith free-entrance days and social media hype, the entire nation is connecting with one another to celebrate 100 years of the National Park Service! In the interests of biological conservation, historic preservation and cultural education, our country now boasts 407 parks throughout its states and territories. Citizens and overseas tourists alike have the opportunity to visit the most beautiful places on the planet, learning about what makes America unique by her natural beauty and through the culture and history of her population. I do not need to tell you to enjoy the Blue Ridge Parkway with its brilliant fall colors, genuine Appalachian towns, the front porch of bluegrass music, and the best views by car and foot of valleys, waterfalls, historic sites and Blue Ridge vistas! Thank you for loving our most visited park
and supporting our park through FRIENDS! I hope you and your family are planning how you will enjoy our centennial celebration of our parks by taking an overnight camping trip or simply a family day trip on the Parkway – but whatever you do, thank you for loving one of the most beautiful parks the National Park Service and communities in our by spending time in your nation -- America’s favorite drive! own backyard -- the Blue Tireless volunteers retain Ridge Parkway! the aesthetics of the Parkway by working side by side with the National Park Service to protect and preserve our park. Thank you for supporting our “Saving FRIENDS Board President Parkway Views” efforts which resumes this fall Celebrate the 100th to clear Parkway vistas Anniversary of our National Parks by visiting and overlooks in North FindYourPark.com. This site has an excellent Carolina and Virginia. interactive map that lists destinations On behalf of the FRIENDS Board and around the world. We hope you will check Staff, we thank you out this site and find your park! Add to your for your support and vacation by visiting the sites surrounding you please join us and the there. When you come home, discover the rest of the country by national park in your own backyard! celebrating 100 years of
FIND YOUR PARK
Continued from page 3 - Blue Ridge Parkway Gardens. the many visitors who came by the garden during the season. Peter Hamel, Ridge District Interpreter, and his staff educated the volunteers and with their combined efforts, the garden flourished and flowered. Corn, potatoes, onions, turnips, squash, carrots, rhubarb, tomatoes, cabbage, sorghum, pole beans, and broom corn were grown as well as many herbs in the kitchen garden behind the farm cabin. Zinnias and marigolds were planted around the perimeter of the fenced-in garden.
The joint effort of the park staff and the Nelson County Master Gardeners is a great example of community spirit and a willingness to work together in recreating a lovely and informative vision for the park visitors who frequent Humpback Rocks Farm. As a member you are supporting the volunteers that create beauty and educational experiences for the park
visitors bringing the 19th century culture alive park wide, thank you!
FRIENDS Board of Directors
FRIENDS Staff
President - KEN RANDOLPH, Rockydale Quarries, Corp Vice President - STEVE BEYER, Leisure Media 360 Secretary - LYNN DAVIS, Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources & Environment Treasurer - J. RICHARD WELLS, Leisure Media 360 Assistant Secretary and Treasurer -PERRY KEYS, Enterprise Software DAVID POTEET, Nomad Mobile Guides MARTHA BOGLE, National Park Service Superintendent, Retired KYLE EDGELL, Caricature Artist GEORGE HUMPHRIES, Photographer and Author, Mars Hill University BRANDON LaCROIX, The LaCroix Group EDWARD J. FUHR, ESQ., Hunton & Williams
SUSAN JACKSON MILLS, PH.D, Executive Director JENNIFER SNYDER, PH.D., Associate Director SCOT BELLAVIA, Membership Services PAM McCALLISTER, Marketing and Communications Coordinator MARY ELLEN BELCHER, Administrative Assistant JILL DARLINGTON-SMITH, Graphic Designer VIRGINIA EHRICH, Office Assistant
FRIENDS Volunteer Staff Kathy Van Duzer
P.O. Box 20986 Roanoke, Virginia 24018 540.772.2992 | 800.228.PARK (7275) www.FriendsBRP.org | Staff@FriendsBRP.org