Timucuan Preserve News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 6, 2010
Contact: Emily Palmer, Park Guide, emily_palmer@nps.gov

Become a Junior Ranger! Jacksonville’s National Park Participates in National Park Week

The Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Jacksonville’s National Park, will celebrate National Park Week with a wonderful range of activities available to visitors. We invite you to come out to the parks and participate in any of the week long activities including Jr. Ranger Day.
National Park Week is an annual presidentially proclaimed week for celebration and recognition of your National Parks and spans from April 17th through April 25th. Your National Parks are living examples of the best this Nation has to offer - our magnificent natural landscapes and our varied yet interrelated heritage. Parks can provide recreational experiences, opportunities to learn and grow, and places of quiet refuge.
National Park Week includes Junior Ranger Day, a special day for kids to come out for youth oriented programs. Junior Ranger pins and certificates will be available to participants on April 25th. Events will be offered all week long throughout the Timucuan Preserve and include:

“The History of the Musket: Matchlocks, Flintlocks, and Percussion Caps” A Ranger will present the history of the musket and its changes and uses through various periods of Fort Caroline history. Sunday April 18th and 25th, at 2p.m and Monday through Thursday April 19-22, at 3p.m.

“Birds of Prey of the Timucuan Preserve” A multi-sensory guided walk in the Fort Caroline/Spanish Pond area during which visitors of all ages can learn about common birds of prey in the area. Saturday April 17th and 24th, 2010 at 2 p.m. Reservations required call 904.641.7155

“Creepy Crawly Caterpillars and Beautiful Butterflies ” Learn about the life cycle of butterflies at the Butterfly Garden of Kingsley Plantation Sunday April 18th at 2:00 p.m.

“Gullah-Geechee Music” an interactive program aimed at kids at Kingsley Plantation Saturday April 24th at 2:00 p.m.

“Playtime on the Plantation” A family friendly rag-doll making activity at Kingsley Plantation Saturday April 24th at 12:30 p.m.

A “Night Hike” at the Theodore Roosevelt Area Saturday and Sundays at 8:00 p.m. April 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th. Reservations required call 904.251.3537

The beautiful expanse of the Timucuan Preserve is located within the city limits of Jacksonville, Florida. Come experience salt marshes, wildlife, miles of trail access, cultural sites, and more.

The Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center is located at Fort Caroline National Memorial. Call 904.641.7155 for more information or to make a reservation, or visit our website at http://www.nps.gov/timu