WHAT:  Park Day 2010

WHEN:  Saturday, April 10 starting at 9 am (rain date April 17)

WHERE:  Meet at The Wilderness Battlefield Exhibit Shelter on Route 20

WHY:  Preserve and Protect the Wilderness Battlefield

WHO:   YOU!

The Wilderness Battlefield will be one of 117 Civil War battlefields, parks and historical sites that are participating in the Civil War Preservation Trust’s (CWPT) Park Day 2010 on Saturday, April 10. 

On Park Day, thousands of volunteers throughout the United States will work together to clean up and repair facilities, exhibits and grounds that represent historical significance.

While supplies last, Boy and Girl Scouts who take part will receive a patch from CWPT.  FoWB will provide free water and snacks to all volunteers.

Wilderness Battlefield projects will include litter pickup on roads throughout the battlefield, painting, brush clearing and other projects that are being developed.  Cleanup will include the Longstreet wounding site on Orange Plank Road and the parking area of the Vermont monument at the intersection of Brock Road and Orange Plank Road. Volunteers should bring work gloves. The National Park Service is providing trash bags for those who will pick up litter and furnishing paint and paint brushes for those doing painting projects

Mark Wakeman, Chairman of the FoWB Park Day, said “volunteers are needed to pitch in that day.  This will be a great time for hands-on participation and community service by people who care about preserving the Civil War history of this part of Orange and Spotsylvania counties.  By helping the National Park Service to maintain this sacred ground, we not only help take care of this battlefield, but in a small way we connect with our nation’s past and those tens of thousands of soldiers that fought here and walked the same ground.”

Wakeman said volunteers from as far away as North Carolina and Ohio volunteered to participate on the Wilderness Battlefield last year.  In addition, Cub Scouts and parents from Spotsylvania County joined in to cleanup the Saunder’s Field portion of the battlefield.

Volunteers  for the April 10 event should meet at 9 a.m. at the Wilderness Battlefield Exhibit Shelter, located on Route 20, about two miles west of its intersection with Route 3 at Wilderness. Extra parking will be available along Hill-Ewell Road at Saunder’s Field.  In case of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled for April 17.

To begin the day, a local historian will give the volunteers a brief overview of the importance of the Battle of the Wilderness, which was fought in May 1864 and was the first time Generals Grant and Lee faced each other on the field of battle.