May is Preservation Month
The National Trust for Historic Preservation will commemorate the fourth annual National Preservation Month in May 2008. And while the theme of this year's National Preservation Month--This Place Matters--is new, the idea behind preservation month remains the same: celebrating the country's diverse and irreplaceable heritage by participating in local events throughout the nation.
This Place Matters
The This Place Matters campaign is designed to help people share the place that matter to them, wherever these places happen to be. By simply printing a sign and taking a picture, you can tell the story about a place that matters to you.
Visit www.preservationnation.org/thisplacematters and follow these simple instructions:
- Register on the National Trust's website, www.preservationnation.org
- Download and print out a “This Place Matters” sign from the National Trust website.
- Snap a photo of people holding the sign and standing in front of a building or place of particular personal significance.
- Then, upload the photo (or photos) to the National Trust www.preservationnation.org/thisplacematters, and post a brief story about the place and why it matters.
Share a photo -- or video -- of a place that matters to you.
Want to do more? Help us spread the word about the campaign by sending your entry to all of your friends and challenging them to post other pictures from your town or city. To find out where we got such a great campaign idea, learn how City Lore and the Municipal Arts Society in New York City have been using their own "Place Matters" campaign for years to advocate for local places at risk by visiting their website at www.placematters.net
Throughout May
The National Trust and its thousands of partners across the country will demonstrate the importance of our nation's heritage as they focus on many aspects of the preservation movement including historic travel, heritage education, historic homeownership, and community revitalization. Local celebrations will highlight the unique culture and traditions of different areas of the country, and the National Trust strongly encourages people to participate in National Preservation Month events being held in their communities. Read the national press release.
The National Trust has prepared documents to help your community celebrate Preservation Month:
- Sample Press Release
- Publicity Plan Directions
- Public Service Announcement Template
- Sample Proclamation
- Sample Activities to Celebrate Preservation Month
Auction
The Preservation Month Auction is an additional component of celebrating Preservation Month. During the month of May, visitors can bid on items and help the National Trust for Historic Preservation continue its restoration work in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, help revive downtown main streets nationwide, empower neighborhoods to maintain their unique identity, uncover treasures of our diverse heritage, and raise awareness of the importance of preservation. Auction items range from exotic vacation getaways in historic hotels, behind-the-scene tours, special access to sites, dinner at quality restaurants and other donated items guaranteed to delight and surprise.
We are now accepting donations for online auction items. If you are interested in donating an item, please download the forms below:
Historic Hotels of America® Offers Preservation Month Packages
Members of Historic Hotels of America are honoring the places that matter with packages and promotions celebrating National Preservation Month. A complete list of more than 50 packages from Historic Hotels of America is featured at http://www.historichotels.org/press_release/1/76. Learn more...
