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Pete Eshelman of Roanoke Outside will discuss the region’s evolving relationship with the Blue Ridge Parkway at the next FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway-Roanoke Valley Chapter meeting Wednesday, March 12 at 6 p.m. at South County Library.
 
Roanoke Outside is a 501(c)3 organization, whose mission is to showcase the region’s outdoor amenities and its commitment to making outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship a core component of the region’s lifestyle.
 
“People are not engaging with the Blue Ridge Parkway the same way they were when it was initially built,” says Eshelman.  “When it was built, no one was riding bicycles for recreation.”
 
Eshelman is Roanoke Outside director and co-chair of its signature event, the Blue Ridge Marathon, with John Carlin.
 
“One of the reasons we choose to have the Blue Ridge Parkway as part of the marathon course is our desire to showcase the Parkway to new users – new users who want to engage with it in ways other than from the inside of a car.  If we want to see the next generation continue to care for the Blue Ridge Parkway, we need to find ways to engage their interests,” says Eshelman.

“Roanoke is the largest urban area along the Blue Ridge Parkway, so there is a great need for a strong parkway-community relationship to assure better land management and scenic protection, while meeting the region’s outdoor recreational interests,” says Heidi Ketler, chair of the Roanoke Valley Chapter of FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The event is free and open to the public. Register by e-mail to roanoke@friendsbrp.org.

Based in Roanoke, Va., FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway is the only volunteer-driven, 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization solely dedicated to helping the National Park Service protect, preserve, enhance and celebrate America’s favorite scenic drive. FRIENDS’ more than 10,000 members work to ensure the Blue Ridge Parkway’s future through stewardship and fundraising that supports volunteer service projects, as well as youth and adult education programs.