Press release from Great Smoky Mountains National Park:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials invite the public to experience ‘SmokiEEEs @ Home’ during National Park Week. This new website at www.smokieees.org features videos and activities that connect students of all ages to the park from their homes by highlighting the three ‘E’s in SmokiEEEs: Explore, Entertain, and Escape.“During this time of uncertainty when the park is closed and most people are confined to their homes, we hope you’ll join us for an opportunity to virtually experience the Smokies,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the park soon, but until then, I invite you to pause and enjoy a Smokies break online with us.”While parked at home, students can journey to the Smokies through a variety of online park experiences. Parent resources and original video content provide families an opportunity to take Ranger-led ‘Parks as Classrooms’ virtual field trips along with adventures led by Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and Discover Life in America staff that include backyard citizen-science activities. Educators with each organization are working on new videos and grade-level activities to add to the website on a regular basis.SmokiEEE’s digital experiences are divided into three categories: Explore gets kids outside to see what they can discover in their own neighborhood; Entertain gives students a fun, creative opportunity to open their eyes and ears to the sounds and sights of nature as we celebrate the Smokies and the art it inspires; and Escape offers students a virtual escape to the Smokies for a quiet, captivating moment. These opportunities were created in collaboration with Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, Discover Life in America, Great Smoky Mountains Association, and in partnership with Friends of the Smokies.The park is also celebrating National Park Week on social media platforms through April 26 where favorite memories from park users will be shared throughout the week. A special limited-time park ranger emoji will appear with the use of #NationalParkWeek and #FindYourPark hashtags, in addition to #FindYourVirtualPark and #EncuentraTuParque on Twitter.For more online activities, visit the National Park Service website at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/find-your-virtual-park.htm where you can find additional resources from parks across the country that feature the sights and sounds of parks, games, videos, webcams and kid-friendly activities.
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