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FREE community event brings national and regional parks to local families in southern Oregon and northern California

Medford, OR - Families won’t have to travel far this Saturday, September 12, 2009, to learn about the six national parks and monuments in southwest Oregon and northern California. Instead, National Parks Family Day will be held at nearby ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum in Ashland, OR where park staff will be on hand with fun activities geared toward children and those wanting to learn more about the parks, related natural resources, and outdoor attractions from Redding to Roseburg.

“Fewer numbers of children are spending time outdoors, including visiting national parks that exist virtually in their backyard,” said Sean Smith, National Parks Conservation Association. “But national parks are our country’s most powerful living classrooms, and we want to expose local residents to these important places.”

Rangers will give hands-on presentations about wildlife, culture, and history in the parks. Children will have a chance to try setting up a shelter and learn about outdoor wilderness safety; enjoy The Giant Salmon Tent with educational activities; experience bird banding/watching; meet fully costumed Clifford the Big Red Dog and Smokey Bear; and preview highlights from Ken Burns’ The National Parks: America's Best Idea.

This FREE community event is designed to introduce the national and regional parks to one and all living in the State of Jefferson. Families will visit with representatives from Crater Lake, Redwood, and Lassen Volcanic National Parks, plus Oregon Caves, Cascade-Siskiyou and Lava Beds National Monuments and Whiskeytown Recreation Area. Also in attendance will be representatives from Jackson and Josephine County Parks, Ashland Parks, Ashland Library Foundation, Bureau of Land Management, Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest, Wildlife Safari, Turtle Bay Exploration Park, Coyote Trails, Klamath Bird Observatory, The Siskiyou Field Institute, Southern Oregon University and many more non-profits.

All day in the museum, visitors can view a sneak preview of The National Parks: America's Best Idea.  "In the tradition of Ken Burns’ exploration of other American inventions, such as democracy, baseball and jazz, the six-part mini-series tells the story of an uniquely American idea: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone.  The series took 6+ years to produce and features some of nature's most spectacular locales — from Acadia to Yosemite, the Grand Canyon to the Florida Everglades. The series also tells the stories of how these sites became protected as parks, including our very own Crater Lake National Park.  I know our viewers in southern Oregon appreciate the beauty of our natural surroundings and they will love The National Parks: America's Best Idea premiering on Sunday, September 27th on SOPTV," said Mark Stanislawski, President of Southern Oregon Public Television.

This free event is sponsored by Pacific Power, National Parks Conservation Association, SOPTV and ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum.  ScienceWorks Museum is located at 1500 East Main Street, Ashland, Oregon 97520 and is open from 11am-5pm on Saturday, September 12, 2009. For more information, visit www.soptv.org/parks-day or call (541) 779-0808.

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