Appalachian Trail Histories

 First you gotta' check out this excellent website.

Like the ATC's history and the NPS, this goes into details of the (mainly) southern AT.

So, while you are waiting to head to Springer in a couple months, read about the AT.

And it is also a plug for the new book by Mills Kelly.  I got my order in!

Cultural Resources on the AT. part 3

Sheffield, Massachusetts

Sheffield is a town in southern Berkshire County in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Sheffield became one of the first settlements in western Massachusetts in 1726 (Preiss, 1976) and is named after Sir Edmund Sheffield, the second duke of Buckingham (Palmer, 1900). Along with farming, a small industry of mineral extraction was found. The manufacturing of iron was possible due to the rich iron ore deposits and plentiful timber for charcoal.  A related demand for lime was likewise supported by the abundant deposits of limestone in the area (Chew, 1988; Dale, 1923).  

In addition to the building and construction use of the stone, limestone was burned in kilns yielding powdered lime that exhibits overwhelming versatility for construction, agriculture and other needs (Hockensmith, 1996). Strategically, the kilns have been placed near the mines and quarries where limestone is found in order to minimize transport of the raw material to the place of processing (Dale, 1923; Rolando, 1994).  

Every kid outdoors

We need the outdoors. 

And many of our younger people do not get enough exercise.

Also they do not get outdoors.

So instead of playing video games, texting and other device managed behaviors, get outside.

A new federal land program encourages this healthy behavior.

https://everykidoutdoors.gov/index.htm

On this website  resources for kids, parents and educators will be found.

Hey fourth graders! See America’s natural wonders and historic sites for free.

 

 

Population encroachment on National Parks

National Parks in the states are now 100 years.  Check out these videos that show how our population is encroaching on these valuable public resources.

No federal funding for bottled water bans?

So the Washington Post reported the battle between the National Park Service (the good guys) and the bottled water companies (the bad guys).  Since the bad guys have tons of money, from selling water at $10 a gallon (when you buy a pint), they are pressuring our elected officials:

"Now, Congress — under pressure from the powerful bottled water industry — is threatening to cut off the federal money the Park Service is using to replace the disposable plastic water bottles with refilling stations." and...

"The bottled water association has spent about $510,000 to lobby members of Congress since 2011, records show, and the national parks are one of its top targets this year."

Just goes to show you that business runs America.

PARK SERVICE EMPLOYEES GET NEW MAPPING TOOLS

See the story at this link.

Free National Parks this weekend

Free is good.

What better reason to hit the trails this weekend in a US NPS park. See the details at http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm.

While you are surfing, check out the great resources for educators on the NPS website.