Plant Your Memories in Charleston Parks’ History at Feb. Event
CHARLESTON, S.C.—Anyone who’s ever wanted to leave his or her stamp on Charleston’s amazing history will have the chance at the Charleston Parks Conservancy’s Plant Your Memories event on Feb. 22, from 2-4 p.m. at the historic John Rutledge House Inn, 116 Broad St. The free event, timed with American History Month, will gather new and old photos, videos, stories and comments about our parks from locals to be added to the first-ever Charleston parks Wiki.
The Charleston Parks Conservancy Web site, and its companion, ParkAngels.org, blend social media technology and community with a host of informative and interactive online tools. In addition to mapping all Charleston parks, the wiki lets anyone add photos, video and text of their experiences, past and present, at local parks with the aim of capturing that information for future generations. Additionally, ParkAngels.org is a social network for the Conservancy’s volunteer core of Park Angels, where visitors can interact, read and write blogs, view upcoming events, read the latest news and more.
At the Plant Your Memories event, Conservancy volunteers will take care of the “tech” part of the wiki for Charlestonians by digitally scanning participants’ current and historic photos and typing in stories and memories to the site. Additionally, videographers from the Post & Courier Web site will record locals sharing their stories for use on both the wiki and Charleston.net.
“We want to start a repository of everything there is to know about Charleston parks and we want it to be a collaborative effort by everyone who lives in this city,” says Jim Martin, executive director of the Conservancy. “We thought this event would help jump-start the process and make it easier for those a little less tech-savvy to still share their old photos and amazing memories of our parks with the rest of us.”
Attendees will also get a rare glimpse of the AAA Four Diamond John Rutledge House Inn with a free tour. This historic former home of John Rutledge, one of the 55 signers of the U.S. Constitution, was built in 1763 and is one of only 15 homes belonging to those signers to survive. It also claims a stay by George Washington during his visit to Charleston in 1791. For more information, visit www.johnrutledgehouseinn.com.
For information or directions about the event, visit the Events section of www.charlestonparksconservancy.org.
About the Charleston Parks Conservancy
Founded by businesswoman Darla Moore and headed by prominent horticulturalist Jim Martin, the Charleston Parks Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to further beautifying City of Charleston parks and green spaces. With the help of its Park Angels volunteer force, the Conservancy seeks to rally community support and pride behind the effort to create a lasting movement. For more information about or to support the Charleston Parks Conservancy, please visit www.charlestonparksconservancy.org.
For more information or to contact the Park Angels, please visit www.parkangels.org.
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