Centuries after the lost colony, Roanoke Island became home to a new colony, a Freedmen's Colony, which was established by the army to prepare the formerly enslaved people for life after the war. In February of 1862, the Battle of Roanoke Island left the Outer Banks under Union control, which made Roanoke Island a safe haven, a place of refuge for those who sought the protection of the Union Army. Although some freedom seekers continued their journey northward, many of the refugees remained on the island in the Freemen's Colony that lasted until 1867.
About Josh Nelson
Hello, my name is Josh Nelson, and I am the Park Ranger for a group of interns, volunteers and employees working at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on Roanoke Island. My greatest joy is collaborating with team members to collectively achieve results, especially when their passion is fulfilled through the work. This started with leading Youth Conservation Corps at Acadia National Park in 2006. In the following years, positions at Wind Cave National Park, Zion National Park, Crater Lake National Park, and Manhattan Project National Historical Park diversified my experience for eight years before returning to Carlsbad Caverns for a permanent position in 2015. I am adventurer at heart and the National Park Service has enabled me opportunities like rappelling into caverns, surveying unexplored cave passages, releasing endangered ferrets on a prairie, or sleeping in a snow shelter on the rim of Crater Lake.
Register at www.DareNC.gov/Enrichment or call 252-441-4331.
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