This spring, Virginia volunteers will team up with the Civil War Trust to aid in the maintenance and restoration of numerous sites as part of Park Day, a nationwide effort that includes more than 130 historic sites in 30 states.

Thousands of volunteers across the country will participate as Park Day celebrates over 20 successful years on Saturday, April 1.

Laurel Hill, the Jeb Stuart Birthplace in Ararat, will participate in the clean-up, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Volunteers will assist with cleaning trails, picking up trash and tree limbs, and planting. Drinks will be provided. Contact Shirley Keene at mkeene@embarqmail.com for more informational.

Volunteers interested in participating in Park Day are encouraged to contact the individual sites. Activities are chiefly outdoor jobs that range from raking leaves and collecting trash to painting signs and gardening.

Volunteers will receive T-shirts, and some sites will provide lunch or refreshments. A local historian may also be on hand to detail the park’s significance.

Starting times vary at each site. Virginia volunteers may sign up at the locations across the state, which include parks and battlefields at Appomattox, Leesburg, Williamsburg, Brandy Station, Bristow, Middletown, Culpeper, Manassas, Lynchburg, and many others

The Civil War Trust is the largest and most effective nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation of America’s hallowed battlegrounds. Although primarily focused on the protection of Civil War battlefields, through its Campaign 1776 initiative, the trust also seeks to save the battlefields connected to the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. To date, the trust has preserved close to 45,000 acres of battlefield land in 23 states, including more than 23,000 acres in Virginia.  Learn more at Civilwar.org.

For a complete list of participating Park Day sites, visit Civilwar.org/parkday. Volunteers can participate in Park Day online using #ParkDay2017.