**RNN_08_04 v1**

3/12/08

I'm park Ranger William Morton of the National Park Service. Welcome to
the April podcast of the Ranger News Network for Massachusetts area
National Parks. Here's what's happening at the parks.

**At Cape Cod National Seashore**

On Saturday, April 26^th^, the park will celebrate International Marconi
Day. All are welcome to come and see Morse Code and voice operators
talking around the world. Learn about the role amateur radio operators
play in local and national emergencies. Discover the connections among
this method of communication and today's myriad global communication
options. There will be "Keys" available for children to practice sending
Morse Code messages. Children can sign a birthday card that will be
mailed to Marconi's daughter, Princess Elettra Marconi in Italy.

**All events are at the Coast Guard Station, Coast Guard Beach, Eastham,
from 9am- 3pm.**

Also at the National Seashore, the family lecture series continues.

On Saturday, April 5, A talk on whales: Blowholes to Baleen looks at the
fascination humans have had with these amazing animals.

On Sunday, April 13, The Amazing World of Horseshoe Crabs. This hands-on
activity looks at many fun facts about these remarkable creatures.

Both programs are free and begin at 2:00pm at the Salt Pond Visitor
Center, Eastham, Ma. Call the park or visit their web site for more
details.

**At the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site**

With the upcoming Centennial of the National Park Service in 2016, it's
an interesting time to look back at "Mission 66", a program that had a
tremendous impact on the Service leading to its 50^th^ anniversary,
**Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site,** John F. Kennedy
National Historic Site, and Brookline Adult Community and Education
present landscape architecture professor Ethan Carr of the University of
Virginia, Charlottesville, discussing Mission 66,

its implications for the present and future, and his 2007 book
***Mission 66: Modernism and the National Park Dilemma*** at Brookline
High School on Wednesday evening, April 16 at 7:00 pm. For information
and registration for this program, please call Brookline Adult &
Community Education at 617-730-2700,

or go to [www.brooklineadulted.org](http://www.brooklineadulted.org/).

**At the Longfellow National Historical Site**

Art and Life Are One A Series of Thursday Evening Art Tours 6:30 to 8:00
PM at the Longfellow National Historic Site in Cambridge, MA.

April 3 Art as Symbol at Longfellow House

April 10 A Connoisseur's Tour of Longfellow House Art

April 17 A Tour of Longfellow's House in Sonnets

April 24 A Connoisseur's Tour of Longfellow House Art

Admission: \$3.00. Space limited.

Registration recommended. Call 617-876-4491.

**Up At Lowell National Historical Park**

Discover Lowell's public art by way of an armchair tour with Rosemary
Noon. Ms. Noon will present "Sculpture Trail: 25 Years of the Lowell
Public Art Collection" on the roots and development of the city's
outdoor public sculpture collection as part of the Parker Lecture
Series.

This free presentation takes place on Sunday, April 6 from 2-4 pm at the
Park Visitor Center at 246 Market Street. Lowell

Coming up on April 19^th^ from 11:00-4:00, you can participate in Earth
day**.**

Come enjoy Earth Friendly fun at the Community Gardens Greenhouse! Paint
a terra cotta pot. Kids can play in a raised garden bed. See
environmental artwork on canvas and on litter barrels. Tour the
Greenhouse. Listen to music. Hands on demonstrations include composting,
recycling, seed starting and seed ball making. There's also a
ranger-guided tour along the Riverwalk at 2:30.

For a full list of events, visit Lowell National Historical Park's web
site.

**April At Minute Man National Historical Park centers around Patriots
Day activities.**

Each year in mid-April, thousands of people flock to historic Lexington
and Concord and Minute Man National Historical Park to celebrate
Patriot\'s Day. Patriot\'s Day is the singular Massachusetts State
holiday commemorating the opening battle of the American Revolutionary
War, April 19, 1775. Lets go down to the park and get a up to date
overview of the planned activities.

**At New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park**

AHA! is a monthly free celebration of arts and culture in downtown New
Bedford. Held the second Thursday of every month from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.,
AHA! events are offered by a collaborative team of over 42 downtown
venues.

Events take place from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM and are located New Bedford
Whaling National Historical Park and downtown New Bedford.

On Sunday, April 6, The Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum and the
New Bedford Historic Society will offer a talk and book signing by Tom
DeWolf, author of "Inheriting the Trade" at 3:00 p.m. Reservations are
encouraged and can be made by calling the museum at (508) 997-1401

More information at t e **New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park**
Website.

**At Salem Maritime National Historic Site**

The Annual Salem Muster is happening April 19^th^ at 11:00am at the
Visitor Center, New Liberty Street

Members of the Massachusetts Army National Guard will be joined by
ceremonial units and re-enactors to recreate the annual muster and
review of troops. This ceremony dates back to 1637 with the first muster
of the East Regiment, now the 181st Engineer Battalion.

For more information on this free event, visit the Salem Maritime
National Historic Site web page.

If you would like more information on any of the above programs and
events or are interested in visiting any of the Massachusetts National
Parks, please visit our web site at

[www.nps.gov/state/ma](http://www.nps.gov/state/ma)

This is ranger William Morton for the ranger News Network., thanks for
joining me.