Volunteers Wanted for National Public Lands Day

Residents in Pelham, New Rochelle, Bronxville, Scarsdale and surrounding areas are invited to join thousands of people across the country in volunteering for the 18th annual National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 24.

National Public Lands Day is initiative aimed at getting volunteers to help maintain public lands around the country. It is coordinated by the National Environmental Education Foundation. More than 180,000 people are expected to converge onto more than 2,000 sites to help with the effort.

Locally, Jen’s Community at Wildcliffe in New Rochelle on Saturday, Sept. 17. But there are still plenty of nearby sites in need of volunteers that can be found here.

Also, the National Public Lands Day program is supporting First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative this year. “Lets Move” is program dedicated to fighting childhood obesity.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. is the event’s national corporate sponsor for the 13th consecutive year. Northrop Grumman has joined as a contributing sponsor again for the 3rd year.
   
Eight federal agencies will participate along with more than 250 state, county, and city partners and a host of nonprofit groups, including the Boy Scouts of America, The Girl Scouts of the USA, Student Conservation Association and The Corps Network.
   
Last year, 170,000 volunteers worked at over 2,080 sites in every state, the District of Columbia and in many U.S. territories. NPLD volunteers:

• Removed an estimated 450 tons of trash
• Collected an estimated 20,000 pounds of invasive plants
• Built and maintained an estimated 1,320 miles of trails
• Planted an estimated 100,000 trees, shrubs and other native plants
• Contributed an estimated $15 million to improve public lands across the country