Cape Fear Museum has been awarded a $5,000 grant from International Paper’s Riegelwood Mill and the International Paper Foundation to assist with interpretive exhibit signage in the museum’s Outdoor Learning Environment (OLE), opening this coming summer.

International Paper’s donation will help fund interpretive signs that will include a mix of photographs, illustrations, maps and words, according to a news release from the museum. 

The new outdoor space, to be located in space currently used for parking, will give visitors an opportunity to explore some of the ways the Cape Fear’s people, land, and water have interacted over time, the release stated, adding, “The project as a whole will imaginatively use signage, native plantings, hands-on activities and maritime artifacts to get visitors thinking about how science and history intersect in the region.”

Exhibits manager Adrienne Garwood said of the award, “We have plans for several creative and informative signs, hands-on opportunities. This generous award from International Paper will help us provide visitors with a high quality experience.”

Since its inception in 1952, the International Paper Foundation has supported nonprofit organizations within the communities where International Paper has operating facilities.That support comes in the form of corporate donations, in-kind contributions, employee volunteerism and foundation grants, according to the release.