(Photo by Robert Barossi)

by Robert Barossi

I have to confess, I had no idea that it was recently National Public Lands Day, an annual event now in it’s 21st year. This nationwide event, which occurred a few weeks ago on September 27th, included thousands of volunteers doing some amazing work across the country. Last year, events took place at over two thousand sites, where volunteers did everything from removing invasive species to repairing and maintaining trails. This blog from the U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that the Forest Service waived fees in an effort to encourage more people to join in the efforts. The National Public Lands Day website offers lots of information including ways for people to stay involved after the event. Locally, there were many events and calls put out for volunteers, all the way across the country, from these events in Alaska and in Hawaii, to these stories out of Pennsylvania and New Orleans. There are many other stories out there about all the events that no doubt made the day a huge success and a major win for our public lands.