Virtual tour depicts all of North Carolina’s state parks

From the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

Press release

RALEIGH, N.C. – A virtual tour of all North Carolina state parks – through the eyes of park rangers and their coworkers – will debut in a theater setting Jan. 2 as part of the launch of the state parks 2016 centennial celebration, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.

The 30-minute video “Here in This Place: A Celebration of North Carolina State Parks” will be shown in The Daily Planet theater of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at 2:30 p.m.

A team of 28 videographers was trained to contribute to the year-long project, consisting of rangers, a retired ranger, education specialists, office personnel and temporary AmeriCorps workers. Several thousand hours at the task resulted in hundreds of hours of stunning video of state park landscapes at their best.

The video’s soundtrack is provided by composer, musician and WRAL-TV news anchor Bill Leslie and Joe Newberry of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, a nationally known composer of traditional-style music. Editing was completed by Greg Snyder, Digital Media Group director for the museum. The project was produced under the guidance of Dave Cook, the parks system’s north district superintendent.

“This video truly is a labor of love by our rangers and others who are working daily in the parks, people that know and revere these landscapes,” said Mike Murphy, state parks director. “It’s a wonderful contribution as we begin our celebration of the system’s 100th anniversary.”

It is planned that the video will also be presented at the North Carolina State Fair and other regional venues in 2016. The project also has yielded an extensive library of footage that will be used to produce shorter videos highlighting individual parks.

About the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
The Division of Parks and Recreation manages more than 225,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 15 million visitors annually and celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2016.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to
experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.

NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.