Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park joins the Civil War Trust in inviting the public to participate in the 19th Annual Park Day on Saturday, March 28.
"As the Civil War drew to a close 150 years ago in the spring of 1865, the process of bringing the nation back together had just begun. Twenty-five years after the end of the war, veterans from both sides joined together to create parks of reconciliation to commemorate the war and continue the work of healing. Now 150 years after the war, you have an opportunity to volunteer your time and talents to further an ongoing process of national renewal.
Civil War Trust Park Day is a nationwide volunteer effort aimed at preserving Civil War sites across the country, created by the Civil War Trust, underwritten with a grant from History and endorsed by Take Pride in America, a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior," officials said.
Projects this year at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park include: battlefield landscape restoration at Chickamauga Battlefield and Moccasin Bend, as well as visitor access improvements at Chickamauga Battlefield and along Lookout Creek. Specific details on each project will be provided upon registration.
Volunteers are encouraged to preregister for all projects by visiting the park website:
www.nps.gov/chch and finding the Civil War Trust Registration link on the homepage. Project day registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center, 3370 LaFayette Road, Fort Oglethorpe. Projects will be completed between noon and 1 p.m. Each project will include an interpretive program about the work area. All volunteers will receive a Civil War Trust t-shirt and commemorative patch, as well as snacks and drinks.
Long pants and sturdy, close-toed shoes are required for all projects. Bringing your own gloves is recommended, but gloves and other personal protective equipment will be supplied by the park. Please be sure to wear weather appropriate clothing—the project will continue rain or shine.
To pre-register or for more information, please contact Park Volunteer Coordinator Will Sunderland at 423-752-5213 x 137 or william_sunderland@nps.gov or visit the park website at
www.nps.gov/chch.