Today is National Public Lands Day — an annual event that is a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation, which promotes volunteerism on all publicly accessible lands at the federal, state, and local levels.

As part of this year’s celebration, one million trees have been planted to honor the 75th anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps. At a ceremony in Prince William Forest Park (in Virginia) on Saturday, September 27, volunteers will plant the one-millionth tree of a nationwide campaign to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the CCC. Prince William Forest Park hosts the signature National Public Lands Day event, one of over 1600 volunteer sites nationally, with 75 sites in the D.C. area.

NPLD began in 1994 with three federal agencies and 700 volunteers. Last year 110,000 volunteers worked in 1,300 locations and in every state. Now, eight federal agencies (including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and many state and local lands participate in this annual day of caring for shared lands. NPLD continues the promise of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the “tree army” that worked from 1933-1942 to preserve and protect America’s natural heritage.

Visit the National Public Lands Day website for more information. Also enjoy a copy of their 2008 National Public Lands Day poster.

Tags:
wildlife, wildlife refuge, conservation, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Public Lands Day, Civilian Conservation Corps