Blog

How did you celebrate National Get Outdoors Day last weekend? (June 11). At the Chilhowee Recreation Area in Cherokee National Forest, kids and families celebrated the grand opening of the Kids in Parks program’s 140th TRACK Trail, and the first TRACK Trail in Tennessee!

They aren’t wearing white lab coats, but there are already young citizen scientists collecting data at Front Lake at Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. On April 27, the Kids in Parks program opened its first Citizen Science TRACK Trail designed to engage kids in learning and caring for the park’s ecosystem while helping staff researchers and natural resource managers.

To celebrate National Park Rx Day, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s Kids in Parks program, Blue Ridge Parkway and National Park Service are hosting a family-friendly event at 3 p.m., Sunday, April 24, at the Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville. The afternoon will include a guided hike with park rangers and local pediatricians and more activities to spread awareness about the enjoyment and health benefits provided by outdoor adventures.

Last week, several partnering agencies and volunteers were recognized at the W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir in Wilkesboro, NC, by the United States Army Corps of Engineers for their efforts in maintaining and improving various recreational opportunities at the lake.

Since the start of Kids in Parks in 2009, the program has expanded rapidly from the first TRACK Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway to over 100 TRACK Trails in seven different states and Washington, DC.