Silver Anniversary Celebration for the Timucuan Preserve

Jacksonville, FL—The Timucuan Preserve is approaching an important milestone.  The preserve was established on February 16, 1988 with the goal of protecting the critical wetlands and cultural legacy of Northeast Florida.  In 2013, we celebrate 25 years of connecting people to this rich landscape.  This special occasion coincides with another of the park’s most loved traditions, the Kingsley Heritage Celebration.  To mark these two events the National Park Service invites the public to the 15^th Annual Kingsley Heritage Celebration the last two Saturdays in February.

Visitors will be able to celebrate in many ways.  Gospel choirs will help us rejoice in the rich cultural legacy of the plantation period.  A Gullah storyteller will regale young and old with tales of Gullah folklore. A living timeline will transport visitors through the entire history of Fort George Island.  A Kids’ Corner will provide families with nature crafts and activities sure to bring a smile. 

“The preservation of the ecology and history of this region for the last 25 years is an impressive milestone.  It seems only fitting that we rejoice in this landmark achievement with the community that has helped to protect these treasures,” remarked Preserve Superintendent Barbara Goodman.

Surrounded by ancient live oaks and stately palms, Kingsley Plantation overlooks the Fort George River on Fort George Island in the Timucuan Preserve. The rich and diverse history of the plantation includes the story of wealthy English planter Zephaniah Kingsley and his wife Anna Madgigine Jai, who was born in Senegal and purchased by Kingsley as a slave. The history also includes the stories of the men, women, and children who struggled to survive enslavement, in an era when wealth was sometimes measured in human property.

Kingsley Plantation, is a unit of the National Park Service’s Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in Jacksonville. Zephaniah Kingsley owned and operated a 1,000-acre plantation on the island during the first half of the nineteenth century. In addition to the scheduled events, visitors may also visit the grounds that include the original plantation house, kitchen house, barn, and the remains of 25 tabby slave cabins.  The Plantation house is itself Florida’s oldest standing (1798) plantation era structure.  The grounds offer perhaps the most graphic evidence of slave living quarters and daily life experiences in the state, if not the South.

Located off Heckscher Drive/A1A one-half mile north of the St. Johns River ferry landing, Kingsley Plantation is open daily, at no charge, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.  For more information, call 904.251.3537, or go tohttp://www.nps.gov/timu, where you can access this full text press release and detailed biographies of the presenters and performers.

Detailed Schedule of Events

Saturday, February 16:

1:30 p.m. –R.S.V.P., the Ritz Sound and Vocal Performers bring together youth ages 12-18 to discover the power of singing, learning and playing music together. Through concerts and frequent community performances, the Ritz Sound and Vocal Performers serve as ambassadors for the Ritz Theatre and Museum and the City of Jacksonville.  They use voice and music as a tool for youth development, social healing and community building.

2:30 p.m. – Gullah Storyteller Carolyn “Jabulile” White- Ms. White is a grass-roots, Gullah storyteller and historian. Born and raised on the sea islands of Charleston, South Carolina, she learned the art of storytelling from her parents and grandparents. “Jabulile” thought it only natural that she should share these stories not only with the people in her community, but the world. She speaks fluent Gullah, an island dialect, when telling her stories. She tells her stories with humor, giving the audience a true insight and understanding of the customs and culture of the Gullah People.

Kids’ Corner: Throughout the day, park staff will present children’s activities celebrating the anniversary. Get your photo taken with a ranger and decorate a frame to show it off.  Make a nature rubbing, decorate a rag doll, or participate in one of the ranger guided kid’s games.

Saturday, February 23:

10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Fort George Island, home to Kingsley Plantation holds a long and varied history. This event enables visitors to explore that history as the timeline of Ft. George Island life. Living history demonstrations scattered throughout the 1,000 acre island will portray milestones from the past. From the Timucuan Indians, to the flappers of the roaring twenties and everyone in between, this event promises something for everyone.

Park rangers and volunteers in period costumes will demonstrate various tasks involved in the operation of a large plantation. Demonstrations will include cooking, spinning, weaving, dyeing with indigo, and gardening. Beyond the plantation time period, kids will be able to write with quill and ink and learn about the Spanish Mission San Juan del Puerto.  Visitors can join in on a game of cricket, a popular sport in the 1800’s.

At the Ribault Club, a ranger will recount the experiences of the Ribault Club’s groundskeeper in the 1920’s.  Short vignettes will describe the founding of the historic St. George Episcopal Church.  The Timucuan Preserve has partnered with the Fort George Cultural State Park and the Historic St. George Episcopal Church to bring this event to the public.

Information: Call Kingsley Plantation at (904) 251-3537, visithttp://www.nps.gov/timu, Like us on Facebook at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and follow us on Twitter @TimucuanNPS.

Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

Click below for Discount Tickets!

ONE DAY ONLY SALE!
^TBA
Price:  TBA

Follow us on Twitter

Share on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/OrlClassic 

15th Annual OFFICIAL Florida Classic | “Tastemakers, Lovers & Friends” The Post Game Soiree

Saturday, November 17th

House Of Blues
1490 E. Buena Vista Dr.
Lake Buena Vista, FL

Description:
“The PREMIERE Post Party Event for Alumni, Professionals, Lovers & Friends.”

Talent:
* DJ Saxwell
* DJ Q45

Early Bird Tickets Just $20 before October 19th.
Available At: http://bit.ly/HOBClassic

Table Reservations:
dreamer@fourxl.com

———————————————–\\

Share on Facebook

Haarlem (The Netherlands). Off-Grid Solutions Ltd announced today that it has reached an agreement with Uganda Batteries Ltd to distribute 1 million WakaWaka solar lamps in Uganda. The WakaWaka is the most efficient solar lamp on the planet, delivering safe and affordable light for the 1.5 billion people who still live off grid and who are dependant on toxic, dangerous and expensive kerosene lamps.

Uganda Batteries Ltd. is owned by well known Ugandan entrepreneur James Mulwana. Apart from one of the foremost battery companies in the country, Mulwana also owns one of the largest dairy farms and a household plastic company (Nice House of Plastics Ltd). “Practically every household in Uganda has one of our products in their home.” says Mulwana. “We hope to accomplish the same with WakaWaka.”

The agreement with Uganda Batteries is an early breakthrough for WakaWaka which was launched only this summer. Off-Grid Solutions has received interest from over 80 countries around the world including many western countries. “In the U.S., people have embraced the WakaWaka and are using them for disaster preparation, bedside reading, nite lights for the children, camping and other outdoor activities. Once the consumer tried their first WakaWaka Solar Lamp the word of mouth took off. The reviews we get on Amazon for example are practically off the charts,” states Camille van Gestel, one of the co-founders. “The profit we make in the US and Europe are used to keep margins elsewhere (for example Asia and Africa) as low as possible. This commitment in Uganda is the first of many that will benefit from the sustainable business model we have developed for delivering, safe, bright solar light to those living off the grid.”

Background
Every day more than 16,000 people worldwide are severely burned as a result of accidents with kerosene lamps. Moreover, 300,000 people every year die due to kerosene fires. Hundreds of millions of people inhale the toxic fumes, causing all sorts of diseases. And the costs of lighting in some areas amounts to up to 20% of the family income. “This has to change.” says Maurits Groen, the other co-founder. “The sales of WakaWaka´s support an education program, now being developed by the WakaWaka Foundation. We call this the Climate Hero program which teaches students in developing countries about the direct and tangible benefits of solar power, clean drinking water, personal hygiene, preservation of natural resources and recycling.”

Not for publication:
For more information please contact
Victor Brandstetter
victor@wakawakalight.com
925-437-8345

WakaWaka FAQ’s

What is WakaWaka and its business model?

• WakaWaka is the most efficient solar LED lamp on the planet. Based on revolutionary and patented solar technology which ensures that an 8 hour charge in the sun delivers 16 hours of safe, bright reading light.
• Business model – Every lamp sold in ‘the West’ enables an identical solar lamp to be sold at an affordable level to families in developing countries. No hand outs, rather a leveling of the playing field, making safe, bright light affordable for people living at subsistence level.  Human beings creating positive, tangible change within the global village.

• Delivering safe, cost effective light to the 1.5 billion people in the so-called ‘Base of the Pyramid’ who are not connected to an electricity network and often have to make do with less than $2 a day;
• Meeting the lighting needs of the hundreds of millions of people in the world who are continuously affected by electricity supply interruptions;
• Empowering consumers in the West, to obtain a WakaWaka for disaster prep, bedside reading, camping and as night lights for the children, while immediately helping to bring light to millions.

• When forced to us kerosene for lighting dangers abound (at least 16.000 kerosene fire accidents causing severe burns occur daily around the world);
• Kerosene releases toxic fumes that are inhaled (780 million people worldwide inhale the equivalent of two packets of cigarettes a day as a result of indoor air pollution);
• Kerosene is expensive and prices are still rising (costs: up to 20% of income);
• Using kerosene is detrimental to the environment – kerosene for lighting causes 265 millions of tons of CO2 emissions annually (more than 50% of global emissions for domestic lighting)

Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

Thomas Media Group, LLC publishers of the Black Pages USA directories, has successfully promoted minority business expositions for the past twelve years. Known as “Black Expo”, the three-day event has been held in Columbia, SC (fourteen years), Charleston, SC (twelve years), Greenville, SC (one year) and Jacksonville, FL (ten years) attracting over 800 exhibitors and 85,000 visitors. This concept was taken from Black Expo USA which was a national event that traveled the country and no longer exists. “Black Expos” are successfully held in cities such as Chicago, New York, and Indianapolis. Black Expo is the largest event of its kind directly targeting the African American community.

Purpose

The purpose of the Black Expo is to promote economic development through increased exposure for minority owned businesses. African American owned businesses have the opportunity to showcase their products and services to the public and procurement officers from major corporations and government entities. It is also an opportunity for major corporations and government entities to develop viable working relationships with minority owned businesses while marketing their products and services to a growing consumer market. The Expo is also a forum to educate, enlighten, and inspire the entire community and the African American community in particular. Aside from economic development, exposure to cultural resources is a part of the focus for this event.

Read more > http://blackpagessouth.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=61

Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook