Press Release
Join astronomy volunteer, Don Graves, Biology Professor at Hibbing Community College, for an evening of viewing the Perseid meteor showers.
This event takes place at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center this Sunday (Aug. 12) from 9:30-11 p.m. Bring a lawn chair/blanket and insect repellant.
This program is weather dependent. To find out if the event is being held, call the Rainy Lake Visitor Center at 218-286-5258 before 5 p.m.
This program is sponsored by Voyageurs National Park Association. No fee or registration is required to attend. Recommended ages 10 and up.
The National Park Service is looking towards the century mark of the inception of the Organic Act of Aug. 25, 1916, which created the National Park Service and the goals within.
The year of 2016 brings the National Park Service into its second century; and in preparing for this second century of stewardship and engagement, A Call to Action was assembled to request all National Park Service employees and partners to commit to actions that advance the Service toward a shared vision for 2016 and the second century.
This second century brings a recommitment to the exemplary stewardship and public enjoyment of the national parks.
At the heart of the Call to Action plan is four broad themes supported by specific goals and measurable actions.
One of the themes is: Preserving America’s Special Places and its goal is to preserve America’s special places in the next century.
One of the actions to accomplish this goal is titled, “Starry, Starry Night.”
Under this call to action, the NPS will lead the way in protecting natural darkness as a precious resource and create a model for dark sky protection.
With this goal in mind, Voyageurs National Park has implemented two new programs.
The first one is a new Junior Ranger Night Explorer Booklet, created in part by Voyageurs National Park.
This new program has been adopted by the entire Midwest Region; and the booklet is full of fun information and activities about the night sky.
Each activity is rated on a level of difficulty, recommended for ages 5-12, and is a great way of introducing children to astronomy.
The new Junior Ranger Night Explorer Booklet is available at all three of Voyageurs National Park’s visitor centers and upon completion, the child will become an official Night Explorer and earn a special Night Explorer patch.
The second program, which began this spring and runs through the summer months, is Voyageurs’ Night Explorer Series.
The included programs are headed by a “Dark” Ranger. “Dark” Rangers are Park Rangers who have either extensive knowledge in interpreting the night sky, or have completed training in such programs and are equipped to share that knowledge with the visiting public.
