MEDIA ADVISORY – Prairie Ridge Ecostation TRACK Trail grand opening Friday, September 30 at 1:15 pm
For immediate release ‐ September 29, 2016
Contact: Emelia Cowans, 919.707.9837. Images available upon request
Media Advisory
Kids in Parks TRACK Trail opens at Prairie Ridge with special ceremonial vine cutting Friday, September 30 at 1:15 p.m.
RALEIGH — Members of the media are invited to experience the grand opening of the Kids in Parks TRACK Trail on Friday, September 30 at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation, 1671 Gold Star Drive, Raleigh. Prairie Ridge is the outdoor field station of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The opening ceremony begins at 1:15 p.m. with a news conference. A ceremonial vine cutting follows at 1:30 p.m. to signify the opening of the trail. Guided, interactive hikes along the trail will occur immediately following the vine cutting, then at 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3 p.m., in both English and Spanish. A media hike will be led by Museum educator, Liz Baird. Families and children attending this event are from local school and community groups including Wake County’s Project Enlightenment and Shaw University’s preschool. The trail will be open to the public starting Saturday, October 1.
Apple iPads will be located in the outdoor classroom for kids to register for the Kids in Parks program. Kids who register receive nature journals to record their trail adventures. With each new TRACK Trail they discover, they’ll get a specific sticker for that trail. The Prairie Ridge TRACK Trail sticker is signified by a Bluebird.
Photo opportunities:
- Prairie Ridge outdoor Nature Play Space
- Kids receiving backpacks (one per family)
- Interactive brochure and magnified bug boxes for children to use on their hike
Podium Participants/Interview opportunities :
- Charles Yelton, Museum Regional Network Chief
- Liz Baird, Chief, School and Lifelong Education
- Tiana Murchison, PNC Grow Up Great
- Allison Royal, Kids in Parks
For more information, contact earlychildhood@naturalsciences.org or call Dawn Mak at 919-707-8737.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.