Celebrate National Public Lands Day
May 8, 2009 The National Environmental Education Foundation anticipated 130,000 Americans to participate in National Public Lands Day (NPLD), an annual volunteer event held at more than 2,000 sites across the United States.
This year’s event is September 26.
"Wherever Americans go outdoors to explore, hike, fish, paddle, jog or just enjoy nature, that location is likely to be a candidate for a National Public Lands Day event," says Robb Hampton, director of National Public Lands Day, a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation. "For 2009, we will have a special focus on the connection water has on our public lands."
The one-day army of volunteers has an immediate positive impact on public lands. Last year, more than 120,000 volunteers planted an estimated 1.6 million trees, fixed hundreds of miles of hiking trails and removed trash at nearly 1,900 sites. Volunteer efforts totaled an estimated $13 million worth of time and in-kind contributions. This year, the number of sites is expected to grow to more than 2,000 with expected contributions valued over $14 million.
With the focus on water this year, volunteers will be able to participate in activities such as shoreline beautification, wildlife habitat restoration, testing water quality in our streams and rivers, and maintaining visitor facilities in parks and wildlife refuges.
Non-profit organizations, community groups and land management agencies at the local, county, state, and federal levels are among the participants in these activities and events.
"The growth of the program and its impact in beautifying and preserving public lands has been tremendous," Hampton says. "We’re predicting 2009 will be the biggest NPLD yet."
For more information on NPLD, click here.
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