National Public Lands Day

On Saturday, we joined 225 volunteers at Buffumville Lake in Charlton, MA to take part in the 18th annual National Public Lands Day. Although National Public Lands Day is only 15 years old, this park has been going for 18 years strong. Every year folks come and volunteer their time to clean up the trails, paint fences, and assist in a variety of other projects in the park. National Public Lands Day provides an opportunity for people to give back to the areas they enjoy recreating at throughout the year. We had a wonderful time chatting with the volunteers about ways they can incorporate Leave No Trace in their everyday lives. Did you get out and participate at your local park for National Public Lands Day? We would love to hear about it!

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy

Don't forget your Leave No Trace materials for National Public Lands Day

Each September, thousands of people (120,000 in 2008) come together to celebrate and take care of our nation's amazing network of public lands. National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 26, is a way to give back to the places that provide us with the outdoor experiences we cherish. Volunteers do a variety of projects including building trails and outdoor structures, planting trees and removing trash. If you have never volunteer for one of these projects - now it the time. Check out: http://www.publiclandsday.org. Most states host at least one public lands day site and many have several.

Leave No Trace hopes to support as many volunteers as possible this year. We have many FREE resources available on the Leave No Trace website. Please visit: http://lnt.org/training/educationaltraining.php and feel free to download, print and distribute the information you need. By providing Leave No Trace information and training to NPLD volunteers, we're helping to ensure the future integrity of our nation's treasured public lands system.