One of the most important parts about historic preservation is stewarding that love and care for history and the environment for future generations. Our Historic Preservation Director, Abigail Zurfluh, exemplifies this through her service on the inaugural Youth Advisory Council for another Loudoun County National Historic Landmark- Oatlands Historic House and Gardens!
The purpose of the Oatlands Youth Advisory Council is to advise Oatlands staff and the larger advisory council on interpretation, outreach, programming, and engagement with families, children, and young adults and professionals. The Youth Advisory Council has brought together people with multiple different backgrounds including historic preservation, art history, public history, archives and libraries, museums, and marketing. Together, they create, advise, and support the creation of new interpretive materials, programs, and more aimed at engaging families, children, and young adults and professionals with Oatlands. Finally, members of the Oatlands Youth Advisory Council will also serve as mentors to students interested in historic preservation, public history, and environmental conservation as they enter the field.
We are excited for Oatlands for this new chapter, and can’t wait to see what comes from the Youth Advisory Council!