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The Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site in Ash Grove will be hosting an opportunity this Earth Day for people who want to give back to the community or those who have a green thumb. KSMU’s Royal Yates found out more.
The Nathan Boone Homestead, made popular for belonging to the youngest son of American legend Daniel Boone, has become a popular spot for nature lovers across Missouri. The over 400-acre historic site has trails to hike, animals to see, and ancient cemeteries to explore, but with its large size comes much upkeep.
This Earth Day the site is offering an opportunity for locals to volunteer their time to preserve the area and make it even more appealing. This will not only make the site more enjoyable, but hopefully attract tourists as well.
David Roggensees, Natural Resource Manager for the homestead, says he thinks this is a great way for the homestead to give back to the community as well.
“[It will] give them a sense of pride in the asset that we have here. Give them a sense of connection to the heritage that they share with the Boone family, because the heritage that is passed down to this generation by the Boones is shared with all the people in Ash Grove and the Greene county community and the United States," Roggensees said.
Roggensees also says the Boone Homestead isn’t widely known, but is still a great resource for the people in this area.
He says, “It’s here for people to use. So we’d love for people to come out and learn about the Boones’ story, learn about the frontier heritage of Greene county, Missouri and how this really is the gateway to the West. It’s a great story. It’s a story that really belongs here in Greene County.”
Volunteers will join project leaders and homestead staff to whitewash the Boone house, mulch around trees, and take part in several other projects. The overall goal is to beautify the area and celebrate the earth we live on.
The event will occur on Saturday, April 17 from 9:00am to 4:00pm and everyone is invited to participate.
For more information about the Nathan Boone Homestead, click here.
For KSMU News, I’m Royal Yates.