In the United States, National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is an annual volunteer program that is designed to gather citizens for hands-on volunteer work in restoring and conserving the natural, cultural, and recreational resources of our nation's public lands. National Public Lands Day is held every year on the last Saturday of September.

The 2011 National Public Lands Day will be held on Saturday, September 24th.

Find a National Public Lands Day event near you

Volunteer Events on National Public Lands Day can range from such activities as:

• trail maintenance or new trail construction
• campsite maintenance
• removing trash or graffiti
• habitat restoration projects
• planting trees
• removing invasive plants/weeds
• river, lake, or shoreline cleanups

Why Participate in National Public Lands Day?

We get so much enjoyment from hiking, camping, backpacking, and other outdoor recreation activities on our public lands that we should take some time to give back. Our parks and forests were set aside for our enjoyment but we need to take care of them. Our public land management agencies are often shorthanded when it comes to maintenance so why not volunteer to help maintain one of your favorite parks or forests?

It's not too early to plan ahead... National Public Lands Day 2012 is on Saturday September 29, 2012.

Backpacking & Hiking Skills

• Bear Safety
• Leave No Trace
• Map & Compass Usage
• Wilderness Survival