National Public Lands Day is Right around the Corner

National Public Lands Day is just two months off. Units of the National Park System are being encouraging to celebrate with volunteer projects. National Environmental Education Foundation photo.

On September 25th, more than 175,000 people are expected to volunteer for National Public Lands Day at more than 2,000 of our nation’s beautiful public lands. Volunteers will perform work ranging from pulling invasive species, clearing trails, planting trees and removing trash.

National Public Lands Day is the largest volunteer event of its kind, inspiring people to get outside and help out at local, state and federal public lands.

Park managers, including those in the National Park System, are encouraged to start their own NPLD event. With only two months left before the celebration, the best time to start planning is now. By utilizing the next eight weeks, park managers can connect with volunteers and scout troops and utilize the helpful resources on the National Public Lands Day website

Once a park registers, the project appears on the NPLD website to attract volunteers. In addition, the park is sent flyers and posters, can sign up for the newsletter, and learn about skill-building opportunities, such as webinars and contests.

Several national parks have already registered their events:

* Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washinton, D.C. is having volunteers remove lotus from ponds and pull invasive species.

* Joshua Tree National Park in California is hosting a debris and balloon removal event. Volunteers will collect trash and escaped balloons that negatively impact wildlife.

* Guam’s American Memorial Park is restoring mangroves and removing invasive water hyacinth.

* Volunteers at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area will maintain the McDade Trail.

More national parks are signing up every day! Register your public land as an NPLD site today!

Parks must register by September 9th to receive promotional materials in the mail. For more information about National Public Lands Day, visit this site.