North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

It’s that time again—back to school! Did you know you can plan a field trip to NC Freedom Park? NC Freedom Park offers students the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the struggles of past visionaries and find inspiration in the resistance, resilience, and perseverance they demonstrated. The NC Freedom Park and the NC African American Heritage Commission have created various resources to provide maximum educational value both pre- and post-visit. Alt text: Golden monument resembling a vertical wing rising from a plaza with the sun setting on the horizon. Access these resources and plan your visit today: https://lnkd.in/eJjdhQWE

Secretary Reid Wilson recently attended a Teacher Appreciation Dinner for Wayne County K-12 public school teachers. The event, hosted by Wayne Community College and sponsored by the Wayne County Friends of Public Education, featured a captivating performance by Dr. Sonny Kelly on "The Ongoing Fight for Freedom: Stories of NC Black Veterans." Wayne County Public Schools #NCLearningHappensHere

Last month, the America 250 NC Freedom Fellows concluded their fellowship at Tryon Palace. Wrapping up their experience, we caught up with some of the fellows on their experience as part of the inaugural America 250 NC Freedom Fellows program. Learn more by clicking this link: https://lnkd.in/eBFj4Kd9

Thanks to a $75,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum State Historic Site will hire a financial sustainability advisor. This advisor will guide the historic site in developing a new strategic financial plan to support future preservation efforts and to grow its African American history and educational programs for the statewide and local community. “These are times that require new models of care for our sites of memory," said Michelle Lanier, director of North Carolina Historic Sites at the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “The profound history held by the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum at Historic Palmer Institute has a brighter future because of the generosity of the Action Fund." The grant will help the historic site strengthen its financial sustainability and build partnerships to increase and sustain community-based programs, preservation, and restoration projects. This support will further the historic site’s mission as a vital community anchor, providing residents with free educational experiences, job training, access to voting (as a polling site during elections), and more. Image courtesy of the Charlotte Hawkins Brown State Historic Site.

Celebrate the New Bern Resolves on August 24th! Join us at Tryon Palace for a memorable day starting with a parade at 9:30 a.m. from the North Carolina History Center to the South Lawn. The 10:00 a.m. ceremony features keynote speaker Chief Justice Paul Newby, honors to 71 delegates, and more. Stick around for family-friendly activities, historical exhibits, and refreshments from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Don’t miss out on this historic celebration of the New Bern Resolves 250th Anniversary! For additional information, visit: https://lnkd.in/eWW8g2Ce.

Repost from North Carolina State Parks and Recreation. The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced that Erin Brown has been named a superintendent at Falls Lake State Recreation Area. Brown has moved into the position that Crystal Lloyd vacated last year when she transferred to Carolina Beach State Park. Brown joins David Mumford, the lead superintendent. Park superintendents manage operations and administration at a park and have wide-ranging responsibilities that include staffing, training, law enforcement, planning, resource management, interpretation and education, and visitor services. At state recreation areas, one superintendent focuses on managing the extensive staff, and that is the role Brown will fill. Brown is a native of Chatham County and spent her summers before college working at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, as an entrance station attendant and later a park technician. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor’s degree in parks, recreation and tourism management, with a concentration in natural resources. During college, she interned at Mount Mitchell State Park. Brown began her post-graduation career with the town of Garner’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department. In 2011, she returned to Jordan Lake, this time in a permanent role as a park ranger. After eight years, she was promoted to an advanced ranger position at Eno River State Park in Durham, serving as their lead law enforcement coordinator for five years. She is certified as a law enforcement general instructor for the division. She also recently obtained her intermediate and advanced law enforcement certifications. “Erin’s proven history of working in various roles for parks around the Triangle, especially her experience with recreation areas, make her an excellent fit for this role,” said Deputy Director of Operations Kathy Capps. “Our reservoirs each welcome over 1 million visitors annually and require a large staff, spread out across multiple accesses, to manage them. We are excited to see Erin rise to the challenge of leading the Falls Lake staff and helping David keep the park running smoothly.” Located 15 miles east of downtown Durham, Falls Lake provides seven access areas to the reservoir. More than 300 campsites offer a variety of overnight experiences. Trails include a portion of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail, as well as one of the premier mountain bike trail systems in the Triangle area, located at Beaverdam access. During the spring and fall, migrating monarch butterflies add to the picturesque beauty of the lake.

Jacob Brown is the new park superintendent at Raven Rock State Park in Harnett County, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced. Brown succeeds John Privette, who became the division’s law enforcement specialist last year. Park superintendents manage operations and administration at a park and have wide-ranging responsibilities that include staffing, training, law enforcement, planning, resource management, interpretation and education, and visitor services. Brown grew up in Cameron, N.C., and visited Raven Rock State Park frequently as a child. He has a bachelor’s degree in recreation management and biology from Appalachian State University. He got his start working in the outdoors as a temporary employee with U.S. Army Corp of Engineers during college, leading campground programs at W. Kerr Scott Reservoir. After graduation, he worked as a youth camp counselor before becoming a park ranger for the city of Fayetteville. During his five-year stint with the city, he managed the daily operations of Clark Park and Nature Center, Lake Rim Park, and Mazarick Park. He joined the division in 2020 and quickly made his way up the ranks to advanced ranger. Outdoor recreation, particularly leading paddling trips, has been the hallmark of his career in parks. Since joining State Parks, he has also done a lot of work in natural resource management. He holds a pesticide applicator’s license, and he spent a lot of time treating invasive species while at Carvers Creek State Park. In addition, he obtained his firefighter type 1 certification and is working towards getting his burn boss certification for wildland fires. Alt text: Jacob Brown smiling in his State Parks uniform.

In the newest episode of the Moonshine and Motorsports Podcast, Rick meets with Marcus Neubacher from the N.C. Transportation Museum. Marcus discusses the Museum of Transportation's rich history and diverse exhibits and shares its connection to moonshine and motorsports. To listen to the episode, visit https://lnkd.in/eAgrdcHp or your podcasting app of choice. Image provided by the North Carolina Museum of Transportation.

Calling all music lovers and industry pros! Your input matters. Take less than 2 minutes to fill out our survey and help shape the future of NC music. Please share with your connections, and let's make a difference together! Access the survey at https://lnkd.in/exU-h4jB. #ComeHearNC Alt Text: Blue tinted collage with four close up images of a person strumming a guitar, a microphone, records and two people with their arms above their heads making hearts with their hands.

Big thanks to everyone who came out to House in the Horseshoe this past weekend to enjoy the fantastic reenactment, colonial demonstrations, and saying hello to the America 250 NC team! Our own LeRae Umfleet gave opening remarks stressing the importance of women in the American Revolution. The team enjoyed chatting with guests and joining in for a few rounds of historic games. If you’re interested in having the America 250 NC airstream visit your event, please fill out the jotform linked here: https://lnkd.in/eZDGQ7Na Alt text: Image 1: Crowd watching a group of people in Revolutionary War apparel attack a historic home. Smoke is in the air from musket fire. Image 2: America 250 NC airstream is parked beside the House in the Horseshoe monument. Image 3: LeRae Umfleet address crowd from a lectern during her opening remarks. Image 4: A smiling man stands beside red, white, and blue tables and a tent. All materials are branded as America 250 NC. Image 5: A adult and child play graces, a colonial game where a hoop is passed back and forth between two people with sticks