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Around The Parks: Director Sams, Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest, Denim Ball, Puppy Cam

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By NPT Staff - July 21st, 2022
Have you checked out Puppy Cam from Denali National Park? When you do, you just might spot Bos'n, Dynamite, or Mike/NPS

Have you checked out Puppy Cam from Denali National Park? When you do, you just might spot Bos'n, Dynamite, or Mike/NPS

Looking around the National Park System, you can adopt a sea turtle nest at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, take in National Park Service Director Chuck Sams' discussion about climate challenges in the National Park System, plan to attend the Denim Ball on the Blue Ridge Parkway, or check out this year's litter of sled dog puppies at Denali National Park.

Goldstein Lecture, Science for the Present

Park Service Director Chuck Sams will be at the Schoodic Institute in Acadia National Park next Tuesday to appear at the Goldstein Lecture. During his appearance, Sams will be joined by three early-career conservation professionals and graduate students working in Acadia to discuss some of the most pressing climate challenges in the National Park System, and the importance of Indigenous leadership and knowledge as well as conventional science to inform our response to ecological transformation.

The conversation will be moderated by Andrew Revkin, environmental journalist and director with the Earth Institute at Columbia University. The lecture will take place from 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Eastern at Schoodic Institute, 9 Atterbury Circle, Winter Harbor, Maine, with a Zoom option as well.

You can register to attend at this page.

Adopt a sea turtle nest at Cape Hatteras National Seashore/NPS

Adopt A Sea Turtle

The folks at Outer Banks Forever have a unique fundraising drive: Adopt a sea turtle nest at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

At last count, the biological technicians at the seashore were tracking at least 260 nests so far this season, a significant increase in nests from last year. Through the nonprofit organization's Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest program, you can symbolically adopt an active sea turtle nest at the seashore and receive an official adoption certificate and information about your specific nest when it hatches.

The first nests should start hatching in the next few weeks. So far, 151 nests have been adopted. The goal is to have 200 nests adopted by the end of August. You can adopt a nest at this page.

Outer Banks Forever works to raise charitable dollars to support projects at Cape Hatteras, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and Wright Brothers National Memorial. Last year the nest adoption program raised $10,000.

The fine print: Nature belongs to all of us. No individual or group that participates in this program may claim ownership of a sea turtle nest, eggs, or hatchlings. For the safety of the sea turtles, your exact nest location will not be shared until after it has hatched. 

Celebrate Flat Top Manor on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Denim Ball.

Celebrate Flat Top Manor on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Denim Ball/Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

The Denim Ball

Got plans for September 15? The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation will host The Denim Ball that day at 6 p.m. in front of Flat Top Manor at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Blowing Rock.

The celebration will mark the completion of exterior repairs to the historical manor built by Moses and Bertha Cone in the early 1900s, and raise funds for additional rehabilitation projects at the 3,500-acre park. A textile magnate who brought denim production to the Southeast, Moses was dubbed The Denim King. The evening will feature dinner, drinks, a silent auction, and live music by Soul Benefactor. Guests are invited to wear denim attire.

Tickets are $200 each. Table reservations for six guests and 12 guests are also available. For tickets, visit BRPFoundation.org/denimball.

The Foundation is marking its 25th anniversary this year. Since its inception, the nonprofit has worked with donors and the National Park Service to invest in the preservation of Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, including successfully nominating the estate for the National Register of Historic Places. Past funding supported the construction of restrooms at Bass Lake, trail repairs, educational programs, and more.

The premier sponsor of the Foundation’s 25th anniversary celebrations is First Citizens Bank. The Denim Ball is sponsored by The Rosemyr Corporation and Modern Automotive of Boone.

Check Out Puppy Cam

Sure, the bear cam at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska is pretty cool, but have you checked out Puppy Cam?

If you weren't aware, the live Puppy Cam originates from the sled dog kennels at Denali National Park and Preserve. This year's litter was born on June 18. The sire is a park lead dog, Steward, and the dame, Olive, comes from a well-respected partner kennel in Healy, Alaska. Arranged breeding and splitting litters with partners strengthens the health of the Kennel's lineage, as well as the health of all freight-style Alaskan huskies.

In commemoration of the 100th year of operation or #KennelCentennial, these puppies share their names with the first dogs acquired by Harry Karstens to patrol the park in 1922: Bos'n, Skipper, Dynamite, Mike, and Rowdy.

For 100 years, the Denali Sled Dog Kennels has been the only sled dog kennel in the National Park Service, and one of the oldest sled dog kennels in the country. While the role of the kennels has evolved over time, human and canine rangers have worked together since 1922 to uphold the tradition of preserving the park’s vast wilderness by dog team. Denali’s dogs are authentic working dogs; they continue to haul materials in Denali’s two million acres of the federally designated wilderness area. The kennels continue to embrace what works best for this land and share the region’s rich mushing history with visitors.

Visitors to the park can visit the kennels and maybe glimpse the puppies daily from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 pm. Free sled dog programs are offered at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. If you can't be in the park in person, visit the website for a puppy break and watch the live web cam.

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The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.