© NCBrian via Flickr

Friday morning marked the kick off of a year-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

At the Ravensford Overlook, officials began the anniversary with a Cherokee Indian ceremonial dance. The celebration continues today with an all-star benefit concert at 7:00 p.m. at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville. Grammy-award winning songwriter and musician Nanci Griffith and bluegrass legends Doyle Lawson, Sammy Shelor, Bryan Sutton, Tim Surrett, and Jim Van Cleve will all perform.

The 469-mile roadway that crosses through 29 counties from Waynesboro, VA to Cherokee, NC will be celebrated throughout 2010 by the communities along the parkway. Learn more about upcoming events online.

© NPCA

Why not give the gift of the national parks to the special people on your list this year? By giving a gift membership, not only do you save yourself from the stress and crowds of department stores, but you'll help protect America's most treasured lands.

The National Parks Conservation Association offers Gift Memberships starting at only $25. Gift members will also receive a fleece blanket as a welcome gift, plus a year's subscription to the award-winning National Parks magazine.

Purchase a Gift Membership online today!

© Ken Lund via Flickr

Remains have been found in Death Valley National Park and authorities believe they may be those of four German tourists who vanished 13 years ago.

The Inyo County Sheriff's Department stated that two people found skeletal remains on Thursday in a remote area of the Southern California park. Identification for one of the missing tourists was discovered near the area where the bones were found.

The tourists, including two boys ages 4 and 10, vanished in Death Valley in the summer of 1996. Months later, their minivan was found in a ravine but after an extensive search nothing else was found.

Authorities will try to identify the remains and determine the cause of death.

© Tambako the Jaguar via Flickr

How are climate change, habitat degradation, and human activities impacting the future of wolves and other carnivores? Find out at Carnivores 2009: Carnivore Conservation in a Changing World from November 15-18 in Denver, CO. The conference is the seventh Carnivore Conference hosted by Defenders of Wildlife, and this year's theme addresses climate change.

Highlights include:

• Meet live wolves by taking part in Mission Wolf ambassador wolf sessions
• Screening of The Lords of Nature, a special sneak preview of the upcoming Nature release Clash: Encounters of Bears and Wolves
• Presentation by Dr. Robert Beschta and Dr. Bill Ripple on the ecological consequences of removing large predators from national parks
• Keynote speaker - National Geographic photographer and author Joel Sartore

Check out the registration brochure or the conference website for more details.

© Craig Mellish, Florentine Films

In September, millions watched the Ken Burns' film, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, which told the story of how our national parks began. The film spanned from 1851-1980, and now it's time to finish the story.

The National Park Conservations Association asked renowned national park expert Kim Heacox to do just that. Check out his series, Finishing the Story, where Heacox picks up where the film leaves off and takes us through the last three decades.

© Ken Lund via Flickr

Construction on Phase I improvements for Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim Visitor Transportation Plan is almost complete and the new parking areas at Grand Canyon Visitor Center  are expected to open in time for Thanksgiving.

Phase I construction began in late April 2009 and were primarily concerned with traffic congestion and significant parking shortages in and around Mather Point and the Visitor Center.  Improvements include: realignment of the South Entrance Road to loop around the Visitor Center area to the south and west; three new visitor parking lots to provide parking for up to 600 vehicles; and a new parking lot for 40 commercial tour vehicles.

Planning for Phase II of the improvements is already underway and is targeting an October 2010 finish. Look online for up-to-date information on the project or call Vicky Stinson, Project Manager at 928-774-3026.

© Venture Crew 82

Are you a young adult from southeast Nebraska and northeast Kansas looking for new challenges? If so, check out Venture Crew 82!

The Venture Crew 82 leaders will be hosting an informational open house on Monday, November 16 at 7 p.m. at Homestead National Monument of America's Education Center. Venture Crew 82 is for young men and women ages 16 to 20 who are seeking leadership opportunities, high adventure, service, travel, and outdoor activities.

This unique partnership between a National Park Service site, Boy Scouts of America, and a NPS Friends group, combines diverse, wide-reaching and exciting resources and opportunities for those who get involved. Visit the Open House to learn about the Venturing program, meet the leaders of Venture Crew 82, and have the opportunity to sign up. For more information, contact Park Guide Allison La Duke at 402-223-3514 or by email.

A new law that will allow visitors to bring firearms into the National Park System and the National Wildlife Refuge system will be the focus of John W. "Bill" Wade, as he serves as guest speaker at the Shining Mountains Group annual dinner in Colorado this Saturday, November 14.

Wadw is the chairman of the executive council of the Coalition of Park Service Retirees and has served in the parks system since 1967. The dinner will be held at the historic Crags Lodge - The View Restaurant the public is welcome to attend. A social hour for the event begins at 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., after which a buffet will be served until 8 p.m. Wade will speak from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact Madeline Framson at 970- 586-6623. The cost for the evening is $20.

© Ascent Productions, Inc.

The Rim Rock Marathon will take place this Saturday, November 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Colorado National Monument. Come out to support the runners but keep in mind the following road restrictions:

• There will be limited to one-way vehicle traffic along Rim Rock Drive.
• One-way traffic will only be permitted from the west (Fruita) entrance to the east (Grand Junction) entrance.
• Eastbound traffic exiting the monument around 8 a.m. may experience a delay of 45 minutes.
• During one-way restrictions, the speed limit will be 25 miles per hour and no passing will be permitted.
• All vehicles, including bicycles, will be limited to eastbound travel only.

As the race progresses, Rim Rock Drive will reopen to two-way traffic by stages, with westbound access to Glade Park opening first. Rim Rock Drive is scheduled to reopen to normal traffic at 1:00 p.m. For more information regarding the marathon, contact race coordinator Chris Reed at 970-274-1232.

Getting sworn in as a Junior Ranger is very exciting!

© zaui via Flickr

Looking for a fun activities for the kids Thanksgiving weekend? Bring the kids to Homestead National Monument of America to become Junior Rangers!

From Friday November 27 through Sunday, November 29, children are invited to experience the Homestead Heritage Center by completing activities in a booklet to receive a Junior Ranger Badge. Activities found in the booklet include word searches, dot-to-dots, matching activities and historic "rebus writing." Children are encouraged to find the answers by searching the museum and monument grounds.

For more information, please contact Homestead National Monument of America at 402-223-3514. Note that all events are free of charge and that the monument will be closed Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26.