New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
On Saturday, May 12, from 9:30 AM-12:30 PM, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park will host a Volunteer Day & All-American Cookout, a volunteer-driven initiative designed to provide our national park with the people-power to ready the park for the upcoming summer season and engage communities in the National Park experience. Following the morning’s projects will be a complimentary cookout in the National Park Visitor Center Garden for those volunteering, sponsored by the Whaling History Alliance. The event kicks off with volunteer check-in and registration at 9:30 am at the park visitor center at 33 William Street, downtown New Bedford, where participants will receive a complimentary t-shirt.
The downtown area of New Bedford draws thousands of visitors from around the country and the world each year for its history, cultural activities, concerts and dance performances, AHA! events and festivals. Said Jen Nersesian, superintendent of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, ―it will be a great day to come out, enjoy some worthwhile work in the fresh air, and re-discover your own sense of pride in the heritage displayed by our beautiful, historic downtown. She also noted that both the work and the cookout would provide ―wonderful opportunities for neighbors with a common interest in our community to connect and get to know one another.
Volunteers who have participated in past events cite the satisfaction they get from volunteering. In addition, the service activities enable volunteers to earn service-hour credits while giving something back to America’s treasures – its 397 National Parks.
National Park Service staff worked with their partners to select three major projects that will take place in and around New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. Many of the projects are family friendly, while others require some technical expertise. They include a park-wide spring clean-up effort in the historic district including landscaping, indoor and outdoor projects and getting the historic Schooner Ernestina in ―ship shape‖ for the summer season, a coordinated project with the Department of Conservation and Recreation. All participants in the National Park Volunteer Day will receive a complimentary lunch and a free T-shirt. To learn more or to sign up for this worthwhile community event, call Emily Prigot at (508) 996-4095 extension 6105 or email emily_prigot@nps.gov. Drop-ins the day of the event are also welcome.
