Press Releases

N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson will join us on Friday, May 26, 2023 at 10:00 am to unveil North Carolina’s newest cultural trail.Highlighting the state’s unique, intertwined history of bootleg whisky and stock car racing, the Moonshine and Motorsports Trail was designated in the 2021 state budget and created by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Since 1924, the North Carolina Historical Review, published quarterly, has been a definitive source for the study and understanding of North Carolina history. Published by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Division of Historical Resources, the Review has been continuously in print since its inception.This year, the North Carolina Historical Review marks its 100th year, and its notable accomplishments are being commemorated throughout the year. The upcoming July issue of the Review will feature many achievements of the publication during the past century.

Several North Carolina state parks, in partnership with the North Carolina chapter of the American Canoe Association (ACA) and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, will offer low-cost kayaking instruction at state parks statewide Saturday, May 20 The event is in celebration of National Safe Boating Week, which begins the same day.The event follows a collaboration between the ACA and the state of Tennessee in 2022, which hosted more than 170 participants and earned a Four-Star Award for an innovative program from the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association.

 Historians will discuss exciting new research about the Revolutionary War in North Carolina during an upcoming conference presented by the State Archives and State Library in partnership with the N.C. Genealogical Society.“America250: The People of North Carolina in the American Revolution,” will be held Saturday, May 20 from 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

The State Library of North Carolina’s Government and Heritage Library will host North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green on April 17 for National Poetry Month.

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is pleased to announce that a district and five individual properties across the state have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The following properties were reviewed by the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee and subsequently nominated by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer and forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register for consideration for listing in the National Register.

Celebrate North Carolina’s Year of the Trail and Pick Your Own PATH at Lake James State Park. A two-day event April 15-16 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., will allow visitors to experience the cultural and natural histories of Lake James State Park with excursions on the Overmountain Victory Trail and the Fonta Flora Trail.

In honor of Earth Day on April 22, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources sites have some great events planned throughout April. First held on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was established to demonstrate support for environmental protection and to encourage people to learn more about pollution, climate change, endangered species, and other environmental issues. Earth Day now includes a wide range of globally coordinated events, including many in North Carolina.

Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site is excited to announce the return of its nature-themed event, “Bentonville in Bloom.” The event will showcase the natural resources and wildlife that call Bentonville home. As battlefield preservation has grown to over 2,000 acres, the wildlife communities found within those acres have also been conserved. “Bentonville in Bloom,” will provide visitors with a chance to learn more about the ecosystem from experts on the flora and fauna of eastern North Carolina.

The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation will now offer two boat cleaning stations at Lake Waccamaw State Park in Columbus County to hinder the spread of hydrilla and other highly invasive aquatic species. The stations are the first of their kind in North Carolina and became operational this month.