From an email:

Dear School, Community, and Media Partners,

Below is our official statewide Virginia State Parks press release for the June 6, 2015 Clean the Bay Day and National Trails Day events. However, I summarized our Hampton Roads programs and events for you. You can always find up to date event and program information, included guided hikes, guided kayak trips, crafts, fishing clinics, and more by visiting http://www.virginiastateparks.gov and clicking “What to Do”.

If you or any of your staff are interested in covering these programs for your media outlet, please feel free to contact me at staci.martin@dcr.virgnia.gov or 757-477-4046 so I can coordinate your visit. We sincerely appreciate your help in promoting these events to help keep our trails and waterways clean and healthy for outdoor recreation. (Please feel free to email me at staci.martin@dcr.virginia.gov to be removed from my event distribution list.)

First Landing State Park—VA Beach: 9 a.m. to 12noon Join volunteers all across Virginia in collecting trash and other debris in and around our local waterways. Volunteers will clean up areas around the Bald Cypress Swamps, Broad Bay, and of course the beach along the Chesapeake Bay. Meet at the Chesapeake Bay Center to register and pick up supplies.

False Cape State Park—VA Beach: Be a part of the Annual Clean the Bay & National Trails Day by getting outdoors and enjoying a day making a difference. Join park staff and volunteers in helping keep our beaches pristine by picking up shoreline debris or help spruce-up one of the many trails found within the park. Reservations are required. No charge. Call 757-426-7128 to reserve a spot.

Kiptopeke State Park—Eastern Shore: 9 a.m. – 12noon Come out and help us collect the items that the wind and waves have brought to Kiptopeke State Park. We will be picking up trash and marine debris on the beach, parking lots and trails. There is no entrance fee to the park and trash bags will be provided. Please tell the front gate staff that you are here for the clean up and they will direct you to the waterfront shed.

Chippokes Plantation State Park—Surry: Clean the Bay Day gets the public actively involved in improving the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay by removing trash and contaminants in the bay’s watershed. During 2014’s Clean the Bay Day, 6,000 volunteers picked up 110,000 pounds of trash along more than 450 miles of shoreline. Let’s do better! Chippokes will be offering the following programs to contribute to the event:

9:00a.m.-12:00p.m.
Beach Cleanup
Leave your mark on the quality of the park and the bay! See the contact ranger inside the visitor center to get started!

9:00a.m.-11:30a.m.
Let’s Go Fishing!-Children’s Fishing Tournament ($2/person $6/family)
See the types of animals that call the James River home! Meet at the footbridge on College Run Trail.

York River State Park—Williamsburg: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (various programs) Celebrate the outdoors by hiking the miles of multi-purpose and hiking specific trails along Taskinas Creek and the York River. We have a full slate of ranger guided activities to enjoy. Help maintain the shoreline with our Clean The Bay Day event. The June Kid’s Fishing Tournament takes place on Woodstock Pond. Experience something new in the natural world with our Roaming Ranger. Hike along an estuarine marsh on the Taskinas Creek Trek. Take a trip thru the past with our Historic Wagon Ride. Or, take a self guided adventure alone or with a group. See individual event listings for more information http://tinyurl.com/monn927.

Belle Isle State Park—Lancaster: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Shoreline Clean-Up – Camp Store – Help keep the marshes of Belle Isle State Park clean. We will take a hayride down Neck Fields Trail and clean up trash and debris, keeping the marshes and shorelines healthy and looking good. Wear sturdy boots or waders, we will get muddy! Remember to bring plenty of water. It is also a good idea to bring some sturdy work gloves. Registration is required.*

2 p.m. That’s No Stick in the Mud – Picnic Area – If you like to hike, then you need a good hiking stick. And the best hiking sticks are decorated to showcase your style and personality! These also make a great souvenir! We’ve got everything you need to make your hiking stick truly unique. We even supply the stick! $2

4 p.m. Survival Bracelets – Picnic Area -You may have seen them in the store or on T.V., you may even own one, but would you know how to use a paracord survival bracelet? We will discuss some of the many uses of these versatile and fashionable accessories. Then, make your own paracord survival bracelet! Registration is recommended.* $5 per bracelet.

*To register, call the park office at (804) 462-5030 or stop by the camp store.

Contact: Jim Meisner Jr., DCR Public Relations Specialist, (804) 786-8442, jim.meisner@dcr.virginia.gov
Current news release is located at http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/pr_relz_detail.shtml?id=2015-05-29-14-50-47-928503-d3e
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 29, 2015

Celebrate National Trails Day and Clean the Bay Day
in a Virginia State Park, June 6

(RICHMOND) – With more than 500 miles of trails, there’s no better place in Virginia to celebrate National Trails Day on June 6 than Virginia State Parks.

Whether hiking, biking, paddling or horseback riding, all state parks will offer special events or activities geared towards trails. State parks in the Chesapeake Bay watershed will also mark the 27th annual Clean the Bay Day with special activities.

National Trails Day is sponsored by the American Hiking Society.

Activities across Virginia include:

High Bridge Trail State Park in Farmville offers the annual 5K, “Run for Your Life.” Sky Meadows State Park in Delaplane has a special horseback ride planned for riders who bring their own horse. Also at Sky Meadows, cyclists looking for a new challenge can join Element Sports of Winchester for a ride on the multi-use trails at the base of the Blue Ridge backcountry.

Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield is offering three different hikes throughout the day. Grayson Highlands in Mouth of Wilson will offer different experiences, including a 9-mile trek on the Appalachian Trail to Mount Rogers, the highest point in Virginia, and trail maintenance on the Cabin Creek Trail.

Natural Tunnel in Duffield offers a canoe trip on the Clinch River, a historic hike, a wild cave tour and a night hike to demonstrate different trail experiences. New River Trail State Park partners with Mike McMillion, owner and head Bike Mechanic of Pulaski Bikes LLC, for a demonstration of basic road and trail side maintenance.

State parks will also offer opportunities to help maintain trails and improve the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay. At Staunton River Battlefield, in Randolph, there will be work on the initial layout and construction of a new trail around Mulberry Hill Pond. At James River State Park in Gladstone, float along the James River to Treasure Island. Visitors can earn a free wagon ride by collecting 15 pieces of trash. At First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, volunteers will clear debris from Bald Cypress swamps, Broad Bay and the beach along the Chesapeake Bay.

Read the details of these and other programs here: http://bit.ly/2015NTD. Some activities require advance registration.

Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

For more information about state park activities and amenities, or to make cabin or camping reservations, call the Virginia State Parks Customer Service Center at 800-933-7275 or visit http://www.virginiastateparks.gov.

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