This weekend at Historic Washington State Park

Almost exactly 150 years after the first shots of the Civil War were fired, 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, history buffs, organizations such as scouts, school groups and preservationists from around the country will team up to  clean, restore and help preserve one of Arkansas’s favorite state parks, Historic Washington. 

Park Day is an annual hands-on preservation event created to assist local groups with the maintenance and upkeep of parks just like Historic Washington.  This year, more than 100 sites are expected to take part in the effort, with activities ranging from trash removal to trail building.  In exchange for their hard work, volunteers receive t-shirts and learn the site’s history from local experts.

Historic Washington State Park will participate in Park Day 2012.  Volunteers are needed to clean and plant flowerbeds, power wash fences, clean out fence lines, pick up trash and help us make the park beautiful.  Participants will receive a T-Shirt or patch in thanks for their help. Bottled water, snacks and a picnic lunch will be provided through the generosity of local sponsors.

For more information about Park Day at Historic Washington, please contact Vicky Schoeneweis, Volunteer Coordinator by phone at 870-983-2558 or by e-mail at vicky.schoeneweis@arkansas.gov.

WHAT:          “Park Day” historic preservation event at Historic Washington State Park

WHEN:          April 7, 2012, beginning at 9 a.m.

WHERE:        Historic Washington State Park, Washington, Arkansas

Historic Washington State Park, a restoration village preserving one of Arkansas’s most prominent 19^th-Century towns, is located on US 278 nine miles north of Hope and can be reached by taking Exit 30 off Interstate 30.  For more information visit www.HistoricWashingonStatePark.com or call (870) 983-2684.