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By: Kris Anne Bonifacio, Special Programs Coordinator, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation
While hiking on the Equestrian Trail at Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, Drae Wright took in the surrounding longleaf pine forest and the blue sky above and an idea came to her: “I should do more of this. I really need the exercise and the outdoors. Why not pick a bigger goal and make it an adventure? How about all the trails in all the state parks?”
By: Brian Bockhahn, Regional Education Specialist, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation
It is the Year of the Fish in North Carolina State Parks! Programs, festivals, and events throughout the state this year will celebrate this theme. We invite you all to join us at some of these events and Get Hooked on NC State Parks!
By: Katie Hall, Public Information Officer, North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
You know those days that are sunny but not hot; breezy but not cold; everything feels just right? The kind of day that, with one deep breath, seems to wash away the troubles of the world and make you just happy to be alive? That was the kind of day I enjoyed for my first hike at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. I hope you’re lucky enough to experience the park on a day like I did.
“The Sandhills region, a narrow ribbon of rolling land stretching from North Carolina to Georgia, preserves some of the best remaining pockets of longleaf pine forests in the Southeast,” says the introductory panel in the Sandhills Discovery Room—the newest way for families to learn about Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve.
Leaders from across the Division of Parks and Recreation hosted a banquet at the annual State Parks Conference of Superintendents in January to recognize colleagues for their heroism, creative programs, outstanding projects, and exemplary service. While several inches of snow blanketed Haw River State Park, the Conference of Superintendents soldiered on to celebrate outstanding work of colleagues across the state. The awards described below include those awarded to volunteers and supporters of our state park system as well as staff.
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
By: Catherine Locke, Marketing Director, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation
This summer my co-worker and North Carolina State Parks Public Information Officer, Katie Hall, wrote about her trip to Elk Knob State Park. It was one of her first official trips after assuming the role in May. She experienced the park during the spring when the air was warm, the trees were green, and she had plenty of company on the trial.
In partnership with the National Association of State Parks Directors (NASPD), State Parks across America offered First Day Hikes on Jan. 1. Here in North Carolina, we continued a tradition started 40 years ago at Eno River State Park. New Year’s Day ushered in the coldest temperatures seen in decades in most areas of the state. Rangers and visitors alike bundled up and met in our parks for hikes to kick off the new year.
By: Katie Hall, Public Information Officer, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation
North Carolina’s Parks and Recreation Authority has approved over $11 million in Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) monies for land acquisition and capital improvement projects for the next fiscal year. The Authority meeting, held Nov. 17 at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, was led by Authority Chairman Neal Lewis and attended by a quorum of Authority members. The last Authority meeting to vote on funding for state parks was held last May at Carolina Beach State Park.