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.
Altogether, NEEF typically schedules around 500 volunteer events for National Public Lands Day. So, no matter where you are, there are ample opportunities to give back. Go celebrate stewardship and lend a helping hand to America’s Public Lands.
“The National Park Service will host nearly 100 events on National Public Lands Day,” said Shari Orr, National Park Service volunteer program manager. “This day of service helps us introduce people to national parks and the recreational, inspirational and educational benefits [parks] provide.”
Fee-Free Day Details
Of course, NPLD isn’t just about volunteering. It’s also a fee-free day — one of just five held throughout the year. On those days, all national parks, BLM areas, forests, and other areas managed by federal agencies were free to enter.
Get involved with an NPLD volunteer event by checking NEEF’s volunteer event locator. Enter your location and what you’re hoping to help with, and NEEF will line you up with the nearest opportunities.
You can also check out the NPS “Volunteer With Us” page or check out NPLD events held by the NPS. And if you simply want to get into public lands for free, it’s easy. Just hit up your nearest national park and get outside.
