Department of Parks
“Park Day” At Two State Parks Will Be April 7

PERRYVILLE, Ky. -- Seven generations after the beginning of the Civil War, another wave of volunteers is about to descend on America’s storied battlegrounds – only this array of dedicated men and women will be armed with paint brushes, trash bags and weed whackers.

On Saturday, April 7, 2007, history buffs and preservationists from around the country will team up with the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) to help clean and restore America’s priceless battlefields, cemeteries and shrines – including Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site in Boyle County and Columbus-Belmont State Park in Hickman County.  The nationwide effort – dubbed Park Day – is underwritten with a grant from The History Channel. For the second time this year’s Park Day is presented in partnership with Take Pride in America, a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Park Day, now in its tenth year, is an annual hands-on preservation event created by CWPT to assist local groups with the maintenance of Civil War sites.  Participants gather at the sites to help with activities that range from trash removal to trail building.  In exchange for their hard work, volunteers receive t-shirts and have an opportunity to hear a local historian discuss the significance of the site.

Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site is one of the sites that will benefit from Park Day-related activities.  Volunteers are needed to for a variety of activities including cannon repair and horticultural activities.  Work starts at 9 a.m. For more information about Park Day at Perryville Battlefield, please contact Joni House at 859-332-8631 or joan.house@ky.gov.

Columbus-Belmont State Park at Columbus will also be holding Park Day activities. Work will include planting flowers and shrubs, clearing undergrowth and picking up fallen tree limbs and branches. Work starts at 9 a.m. CT. For information, contact Cindy Lynch at 270-677-2327 or cindy.lynch@ky.gov

With 75,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States.  Its goal is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War sites and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds through education and heritage tourism.  CWPT’s website is located at www.civilwar.org.

Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site is the site of the most destructive Civil War battle in Kentucky, leaving more than 7,000 killed, wounded or missing.  The site has living history artifacts, a museum, gift shop, picnic shelter and more.

The site of Columbus-Belmont State Park was considered a strategic location along the Mississippi River during the Civil War and was the location of the Battle of Belmont in 1861. There is a museum, campground, activity center, gift shop, trails and Civil War earthworks at the park. You can still see the massive chain and anchor used by the South to block passage of Union gunboats.

For more information on both of these parks, visit www.parks.ky.gov

--30--

The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 53 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. Each year, Kentucky parks draw 7 million visitors and contribute $317 million to the economy. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov