In support of PBS and the upcoming Ken Burns' documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, WHRO, along with other sponsors is providing numerous activities to draw attention to this inspiring and breathtaking film and to engage the local community in the uniquely American story of preserving our natural environment and cultural history.
The documentary premieres on WHRO TV 15 on Sunday, September 27th at 8 p.m. For more information about the national broadcast and related resources, visit the PBS Site.
"Experience Your Virginia"
Virginia is home to over 20 National Parks. This 3-minute video offers a tour of National Parks in the Old Dominion. "Experience Your Virginia."
Local Events
 On Saturday, September 19, 2009, at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum in Colonial Williamsburg, WHRO welcomed Clay Jenkinson as President Theodore Roosevelt, plus a special preview screening of The National Parks: America's Best Idea.
We invite you to hear what President Roosevelt had to say: Listen to Part One | Listen to Part Two Photo: Colonial National Historical Park Ranger, Mike Litterst with President Theodore Roosevelt, as portrayed by historian Clay Jenkinson.
Reading Rainbow
 This year the WHRO Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest added a special category for park experiences. We invited fourth and fifth grade students in the Hampton Roads area to write stories about their favorite park experience, create a story about a park experience they hoped to have someday, or write a story from their imagination.
To view the children reading their winning stories, visit the Reading Rainbow web site.
African American History Comes Alive in Hampton Roads
The community engagement and outreach efforts around The National Parks: America’s Best Idea are designed to create a larger discussion about a variety of topics and to help people recognize that national parks preserve a wide variety of history and stories representative of our diverse society. In keeping with this spirit and through a PBS outreach grant, the WHRO Center for Regional Citizenship has developed a brochure to draw attention to the region’s rich African American heritage and the significant role African Americans played in the founding of our democracy.
The WHRO brochure highlights local landmarks that trace the African American heritage of Hampton Roads. From their arrival in 1619 as indentured servants, to Nat Turner’s 1831 Rebellion, from fighting in the Civil War and later setting up community schools, African Americans have impacted the history and culture of our region and country. The brochure includes a timeline and an easy to follow map to encourage us to explore that rich history and culture.
The brochure is available for free download: African American History Comes Alive in Hampton Roads. |