Discovering Our Ancestors and Preserving Historic Gravesites Webinar Series

The National Trust and National Park Service National Center for Preservation Technology and Training have partnered to develop a three-part series of webinars and workshops for people interested in exploring issues related to gravesite preservation.

Benjamin Franklin once remarked, "Show me your cemeteries and I will tell you what kind of people you have." The truth of the matter is that the laws surrounding access to, and the care of cemeteries are widely variable, affecting descendants’ and stakeholders’ abilities to contribute to the preservation of the cemeteries that hold meaning to them. In this series, staff from the National Trust of Historic Preservation? and the National Parks Service will be joined by partner organizations to provide insight into the current state of the field of cemetery preservation.

Part 1: Understanding Site Ownership and Access to Gravesites
Wednesday, April 12 at 3:00 p.m. ET 

In this webinar participants will be joined by nationally recognized cemetery expert and landscape architect Everett Fly and members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation to discuss the current state of the field as it related to cemetery ownership, access, and recent legislation 

Part 2: Introduction to Investigating, Documenting, and Preserving Gravesites
Wednesday, May 10 at 3:00 p.m. ET

This webinar will introduce the first steps that are often required for beginning the process of preserving historic cemeteries. Participants will learn about the genealogical tools and resources that are available for conducting research and providing the necessary documentation for historic gravesites.
Part 3: Beginning to Care for a Gravesite 
Wednesday, June 21 at 3:00 p.m. ET

Sourcing funding and building public investment are often critical towards preserving historic cemeteries. This webinar will review strategies for fundraising, carrying out basic preservation work, recruiting volunteers, and public interpretation and engagement.

Register for these free webinars at https://savingplac.es/3stQ8C7.