Beverly, WV – Seven generations after the beginning of the Civil War, another wave of volunteers descended on America’s storied battlegrounds – only this array of dedicated men and women were armed with paint brushes, trash bags and weed whackers.

On Saturday, May 17, 2008, history buffs and preservationists from around the country teamed up with the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) to help clean and restore America’s priceless battlefields, cemeteries and shrines. The nationwide effort – dubbed Park Day – was underwritten with a grant from The History Channel. For the second time, this year’s Park Day was 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.

Rich Mountain Battlefield is one of the sites benefiting from Park Day-related activities. Volunteers help with adopt-a-highway clean-up, trail work, fallen tree and debris removal and general site preparation for the season. Volunteers bring a lunch and wear clothing and footwear appropriate for outdoors manual work.

• WHAT: National “Park Day” annual historic preservation event

• WHEN: May 17, 2008, beginning at 9am

• WHERE: Rich Mountain Battlefield (Field of Fire Pavilion)
  just outside of Beverly, WV

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.

For More Information about Park Day at Rich Mountain Battlefield Contact:

Chelley Depp, Exec. Dir RMBF, PO Box 227 Beverly, WV 26253, 304-637-7424 richmt@richmountain.org