Saturday, September 28, marks the 31st annual National Public Lands Day (NPLD). This holiday celebrates the connection between people and our nation’s outdoor spaces. Held on the fourth Saturday of every September, all access to national forests, parks, refuges, and rangelands is free.
Additionally, it’s an opportunity to volunteer your time for our public lands. NPLD has become the largest single-day volunteer event for public lands in the country.
This year’s theme for the holiday is “Together for Tomorrow” — working collaboratively toward a common goal, to preserve and protect public lands.
National Public Lands Day: A ‘Volunteer Holiday’
So far, more than a million volunteers have donated roughly 5 million hours to NPLD over the last decade, according to the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Thousands of volunteers roll up their sleeves every year to have a positive impact on our public lands.
And the NEEF organizes tons of volunteer events. Volunteers help with everything from picking up litter, collecting seeds, facilitating educational events, removing invasive plants, cleaning up rivers, planting trees, and more.
