ORANGE, VA— Former U.S. Senator John Warner will address visitors at the April 17 opening of the Demonstration Forest Trail at James Madison’s Montpelier. The public is invited to visit Montpelier before the opening ceremony for trail tours and children’s activities. A reception and barbeque dinner will follow the ceremony.
The Montpelier Demonstration Forest Trail is an outdoor exhibit that will show students and landowners the best ways to manage a healthy, sustainable forest. Visitors will observe four forestry management techniques at demonstration stations along the trail. The Demonstration Forest Trail runs along a one-mile loop that extends from the 200-acre James Madison Landmark Forest, which is protected by a Nature Conservancy easement. The U.S. Department of the Interior designated the Landmark Forest a National Natural Landmark in 1987. The new Montpelier Demonstration Forest Trail will be open for self-guided tours 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (April through October) and 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (November through March).
What:
Montpelier Demonstration Forest Opening
Who:
Michael C. Quinn, president of The Montpelier Foundation
Former U.S. Senator John Warner
“James Madison”
When:
Saturday, April 17, 2010
12:00 Noon – 4:00 p.m.: Demonstration Forest Trail Tours (last tour departs at 4:00 p.m.)
10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.: Hands-on Activity Tent open
5:30 p.m.: Opening Ceremony with former U.S. Senator John Warner
6:00 p.m.: Wine and Lemonade Reception
6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.: Barbeque Dinner
Where:
James Madison’s Montpelier
(Back lawn of the mansion)
Constitution Highway (U.S. Route 20)
4 miles south of Orange, Virginia
COST:
Admission to Montpelier and Opening Ceremony: $16 adults; $8 children 6-14; $10 Virginia Garden Week Ticketholders with tickets; Free for Friends of Montpelier and Children 5 and under.
Barbeque Dinner: $25 adults; $10 children 14 and under.
Advanced dinner purchase required by April 14. Please call (540) 672-2728 x102.
James Madison’s Montpelier
Montpelier is the lifelong home of James Madison, Father of the Constitution, architect of the Bill of Rights, and president of the United States. Now that the home’s recent $25 million architectural restoration is complete, visitors can see the progress of “A Presidential Detective Story: Rediscovering the Furnishings and Décor of James and Dolley Madison” through daily guided tours. They can also participate in hands-on activities and archaeology; leisurely stroll the garden and forests; and take in the galleries and many other attractions on the estate’s 2,650 acres. Nestled in the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Montpelier is located in the heart of Virginia’s wine country on Route 20, four miles south of Orange, Va. Montpelier is a National Trust Historic Site. To learn more, visit www.montpelier.org.
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NOTE TO THE MEDIA: Digital color images of Montpelier are available. Please contact Elizabeth Loring, assistant director of communications, at 540.672.2728 ext. 111 or eloring@montpelier.org
