It?s a great time to walk the trails at Homestead National Monument of America and enjoy the tallgrass prairie in spring! In celebration of National Park Week, the Friends of Homestead are hosting the ?Homestead Prairie Walk: A Walk for Parks Event? on Saturday, April 29, 2006 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. In addition, the Walk About Gage County program ? sponsored by the Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH) program ? has designated the monument as the site for their group walk on April 29. This is a great time to show your support for the National Park Service. ?We encourage people to come out, enjoy the beautiful weather, and see the prairie come alive as the different plants emerge,? says Superintendent Mark Engler. Walkers can use any of the monument?s trails, which range in distance from a ? mile to 2 ? miles. Refreshments will also be available. The Friends of Homestead is a volunteer-based group supporting activities at Homestead National Monument of America. The monument is located four miles west of Beatrice, Nebraska, on State Highway 4. The National Park Service administers the monument. Monument hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekends. All events are free of charge. For more information, call 402-223-3514 or visit the monument?s website at www.nps.gov/home.
