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Building on 30 years of National Public Lands Day
During the summer of 1994, a small group of volunteers gathered for the first National Public Lands Day (NPLD). With just two public land sites and 700 volunteers, this event, orchestrated by Times Mirror magazine, aimed to “build, spruce-up, and repair trails, fences, signage, and structures,” on local public lands in California and Nevada.
Fast forward 30 years and NPLD is now the largest single-day volunteer effort for America’s public lands and a signature event of the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, NPLD brings people together to help restore, improve and enjoy our country’s treasured outdoor spaces.
Throughout the past decade, more than 1 million volunteers have donated nearly 5 million hours of their time for public lands on NPLD, worth an estimated $133 million.
“For over 30 years, National Public Lands Day has been integral to NEEF’s mission of fostering a sustainable future,” says Sara Espinoza, president and CEO of NEEF. “By uniting communities nationwide in celebration and stewardship of our public lands, NEEF continues to champion their conservation and vitality — for today and for generations to come.”
NPLD offers people a chance to connect with their communities and establish deep, meaningful connections with nature. Most importantly, it’s a showcase for the nation’s public lands and their capacity to provide education, recreation, and overall physical and mental health benefits.
Expand Your Volunteer Event
The enthusiasm surrounding NPLD also provides public land managers with a valuable opportunity to leverage that momentum to recruit volunteers. Last year, more than 40,000 volunteers participated in more than 600 NPLD events across the country, representing $11.6 million in volunteer service.
NEEF’s role in NPLD is to support the event planning efforts of these land managers and report on the impact of the day’s volunteer work. Through this process, NEEF sees hundreds of creative event ideas each year from all over the nation, from beach clean-ups to forest bathing and more.
According to Kelly Burnett, program director for conservation at NEEF, successful volunteer events begin with a solid planning committee that includes external parties, such as diverse outdoor organizations, youth engagement/leadership groups, or traditional outdoor partners like the National Audubon Society or American Hiking Society.
Burnett also highlights that successful NPLD events make good use of professional photos that showcase the diversity of the program, provide event descriptions that detail any potential barriers, and prioritize messaging that is welcoming and inclusive using “people-first” principles.
Build Future Engagement
An exciting and unique volunteer event on NPLD can attract new audiences. It’s important to leverage this engagement by ensuring your staff illustrates the connection between single-day service and its long-term impacts on the park and local community. If you are interested in learning more about how your community can get involved in this year’s NPLD, visit NEEFusa.org/NPLD.
Michael Pope is Director of Content Marketing at the National Environmental Education Foundation.