North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

We are so excited about this project!

Meet Graham Piercey, a senior environmental science and biology student at California State University, Monterey Bay. This summer, he interned for the education department at Jennette's Pier in Nags Head. There, he taught summer adventure campers how to fish, surf, and respect marine life. Graham is passionate about marine conservation and environmental education and was a great mentor to the campers, sharing his love for the sea and marine life with them. Graham is now ready to start his senior year.

NC State Parks needs your input! Help shape the future of North Carolina State Parks by participating in their online survey for the 2025-2030 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Your feedback is essential to their planning efforts. If you received a survey in the mail, there's no need to take one online. Let your voice be heard and contribute to the future of outdoor recreation in North Carolina! Your thoughts and suggestions will help improve and maintain our state’s beautiful parks and outdoor recreation areas so everyone can enjoy. Thank you for your participation! Take the survey today: https://lnkd.in/dRSH7M_G #GetOutside #NC #Outdoors

Our America 250 NC team is excited to announce that another round of grant-funding opens for applications, starting today. They will once again be accepting applications for county committee grants of $10,000, and community program grants with awards up to $30,000. Fundable projects will clearly connect to at least one of America 250 NC’s commemorative themes; Visions of Freedom, Gathering of Voices, and Common Ground. A wonderful assortment of proposals received funding approval during the first grant cycle. Exhibits, commemorative events, school field trips, waysides, and many other project types were successful. We encourage applicants to use this grant as an opportunity to creatively meet a community need through a project tied to America 250 NC themes. Instructions and application links will be posted soon on the America 250 NC website. https://lnkd.in/gANXsmci We have also provided a map of counties who received 2024 America 250 NC Community and County grants.

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.