Blue Ridge Parkway hosts Virtual Open House Series during National Park Week

The National Park Service invites the public to participate in an upcoming, five-part virtual open house series presented by Blue Ridge Parkway staff during National Park Week 2021.

The events will take place from April 19 to 22, with the goal of raising awareness and understanding among Parkway communities, neighbors, and visitors of the National Park Service’s stewardship mission.

National Park Service staff will introduce information at each session regarding park operations, upcoming projects, and the park’s strategic priorities.

“We’re excited to host this Virtual Open House series, and I hope many of our Parkway neighbors and friends will join us to learn more about what we have planned for this year,” said Alexa Viets, acting superintendent at the Blue Ridge Parkway. “These events help us to stay connected to the public who share in the long–term stewardship of this great park.”

Event times and topics are as follows:

• Blue Ridge Parkway Orientation: Monday, April 19 at 5 p.m.  This session provides attendees a brief introduction to the Blue Ridge Parkway and an opportunity to consider the complexity of managing this 469-mile linear park. Visit go.nps.gov/GenSession1 to learn more and register.
• Blue Ridge Parkway Orientation: Tuesday, April 20 at 11 a.m. This session follows the same agenda of the previous day’s session and provides attendees a brief introduction to the Blue Ridge Parkway and an opportunity to consider the complexity of managing this 469-mile linear park. Visit go.nps.gov/GenSession2 to learn more and register for this event.
• Caring for the Corridor: Tuesday, April 20 at 5 p.m. The care and keeping of the Parkway’s most significant assets – the scenic road, the overlooks, the bridges, the tunnels – is an enormous task, one that requires careful planning and day to day management. This session features park experts sharing information about many of the ways that both park staff and the public can help care for this historic corridor. Visit go.nps.gov/CareforCorridor to learn more and register for this event.
• Inspiring Park Stewards: Wednesday, April 21 at 5 p.m. Telling park stories in the 21st Century means considering a shift from traditional models of visitor services, interpretation and education to meeting people where they are. Panelists at this event will share current and upcoming tools available to engage and inspire visitors of all ages. Visit go.nps.gov/InspireParkStewards to learn more and register for this event.
• Protecting Park Resources: Thursday, April 22 at 5 p.m. In addition to being among the most bio-diverse areas in the country, the Parkway also features a wide variety of cultural landscapes that reveal our relationship with place and strengthen our understanding of historic events, significant people, and patterns in American history. Panelists for this session will present information about current natural and cultural resource projects in several areas of the park. Visi go.nps.gov/ProtectingResources to learn more and register for this event.

Produced in partnership with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, the Virtual Open House sessions will be presented as Zoom webinars. Each event is designed to last no longer than one hour, with a dedicated question and answer session during each event. Members of the public are welcome to attend and can register for one or more sessions at the links above.