Teddy Roosevelt visits

Unique living history program at Grey Towers MILFORD President Theodore Roosevelt comes to life and salutes his friend and colleague Gifford Pinchot in a special program on Sunday, April 25, at 4:30 p.m., at Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford. “TR Pays Special Tribute to Gifford Pinchot,” brings the nation’s premiere Theodore Roosevelt re-enactor, Joe Wiegand, to Pinchot’s ancestral home, Grey Towers, where he demonstrates an unparalleled grasp of history and an uncanny way of quickly convincing you that you are in the company of the great Rough Rider President. TR and Pinchot were friends and colleagues and shared a conservation philosophy that helped shape how the nation manages its natural resources. The two founded the US Forest Service and TR named Pinchot its first chief. In later years, Roosevelt wrote of Pinchot: “ Gifford Pinchot is the man to whom the nation owes most for what has been accomplished as regards the preservation of the natural resources of our country. He led, and indeed during its most vital period embodied, the fight for the preservation through use of our forests . I believe it is but just to say that among the many, many public officials who under my administration rendered literally invaluable service to the people of the United States, he, on the whole, stood first.” As Theodore Roosevelt, Wiegand also shares stories from a lifetime of service and adventure, ranging from cowboy excitement in the Dakotas to the charge of the cavalry up the heights of Santiago de Cuba. With Wiegand, audiences can join TR on an African safari and an exploration of Amazon River jungles, and hear tales of building the Panama Canal, a modern Navy and a vibrant conservation movement. Wiegand recently helped celebrate TR’s 150th birthday with a 50-state tour that included the White House and TR’s birthplace in New York City. More about Wiegand and the T.R. Tour is available at www.teddyrooseveltshow.com . Hosted by the Grey Towers Heritage Association, the unique program kicks off Grey Towers’ 2010 public program season. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased online at www.greytowers.org or by mail to GTHA, PO Box 188, Milford, PA, 18337. A portion of the proceeds will help fund a free program for Delaware Valley High School students and area senior citizens. For more information, contact Grey Towers at 570-296-9625, by email at greytowersheritage@gmail.com or on the web at www.greytowers.org or www.fs.fed.us/gt .