The Blue Ridge Parkway celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2010, and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation was a leadership supporter. Working with the National Park Service and their partner organizations, we helped focus the nation on this milepost celebration and reach out and touch the hearts and minds of people near and far to make a personal connection with the Parkway.
As part of the 75th celebration, the Foundation sponsored the keynote speaker, Richard Louv, at the symposium "Imagining the Blue Ridge Parkway for the 21st Century: Sustaining Communities, Environments, and Economies" held in Roanoke in October of 2010. Richard Louv is the author of "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder" and the co-founder and chairman of the Children & Nature Network. His speech was an inspirational beginning to a weekend of networking and idea-sharing among organizations and individuals who are passionate about their connection to the Parkway.