Month: April 2020

Volunteer Update – April 29, 2020

Hello Level Walkers!

I hope the approach of May finds you well.

Here is another update from our volunteer coordinator Emily!

Regards, Steve

C&O Canal Volunteers,
I hope you are all doing well and staying safe at home. Here are some park updates and a message from our Superintendent.
Thanks to Cheyenne for compiling some tips and resources on recycling, upcycling, and composting to celebrate the last week of “Earth Month”. See attachment to learn more about these environmentally friendly activities.
Due to rising river levels, Billy Goat Trail A is closed until further notice to ensure visitor safety and resource protection. To keep up with current park closures and conditions, make sure to visit the alerts page on the park website.
Christiana Hanson is settling in as the Chief of Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers. For more about Christiana, see the attached press release.
Finally, Park Superintendent Tina Cappetta wanted to share this message with volunteers:
“Hi everyone. I hope you and your loved ones are all well during this trying time for our nation. While this pandemic is unprecedented for our times, I always find myself looking to history for some sort of anchor. Having spent my recent years at Fort McHenry, I cannot help but think of the soldiers who returned from the front lines of WWI to General Hospital No. 2 located at the hospital buildings there, only to battle for their lives again. The legacy of service of heroes like Head Army Nurse Emily Raine Williams who cared for hundreds of wounded soldiers battling the Spanish influenza lives on today. We will see better days soon. I look forward to seeing you on the towpath.” – Tina
Emily H. Hewitt
She/Her/Hers
Volunteer Program Manager
C&O Canal National Historical Park

Image – Sunrise over the Potomac – Level 27

Level Walker Updates

Hello Level Walkers,
I hope you all are doing well.  Volunteer activity is still on hold – but that does not mean you can’t go out on the park!  Just remember to check with the NPS alerts page for the most up-to-date information about park facilities, access and safe practices.
Two messages from volunteer program manager Emily Hewitt follow.
Take care, and thanks for all you do!
Steve
Dear Volunteers,
I hope you enjoyed a beautiful Earth Day. You might be missing the park, but this week Claire from the VIP office provides us with some tips for connecting with the outdoors through nature journaling. Please see the attachment to see how you can get involved with nature in a creative way.
This is also National Park Week! Keep an eye on the park Facebook page for posts celebrating our national park.
Current park closures have not changed since the last update, except the Billy Goat A trail is open again. To keep up with current park closures and conditions, make sure to visit the alerts page on the park website.
I hope you are staying well.
Park Volunteers,
We are now accepting photo submissions for the 2021 C&O Canal calendar!
Photos of all parts of the park, through all four seasons will be included in the calendar. So if you have photos of historic structures, flora/fauna, visitors, volunteers, or just about anything else in the park, please submit them!
Due to the Maryland stay-at-home order, we are happy to accept photos you may have taken in previous years. Your wellness and safety are most important, so please don’t feel the need to get out now to snap new photos. We’ll take photos from any year in the park!
Once again this year, we ask that you submit your photos via Google Drive to chohvip@gmail.com. To do this, compose an email and hover your mouse over the plus sign next to the attachments, click on the drive icon (resembles recycling logo), upload the photos you would like to share, and send to chohvip@gmail.com. If you have any issues with this, please feel free to attach photos to a standard email sent to the same email address.
Please label your photo files with the name of photographer and location.
– Ex. BigSlackwater_Jane_Doe.
The deadline for submission is Friday, June 5th, 2020. If your photograph is selected, you will be contacted and credited in the calendar.
Thank you and stay well!
Emily H. Hewitt
She/Her/Hers
Volunteer Program Manager
C&O Canal National Historical Park
Image – Harpers Ferry 2009 – Level 21