EDITORIAL: Volunteer for National Public Lands Day
Sep. 4—You're fortunate to live in the Ozarks, and part of that fortune is the millions of acres of public land you own.
The Ozarks has nearly 2.5 million acres of national forest land, hundreds of thousands of acres of state park and state conservation lands, as well as U.S. Army Corps of Engineer land.
That land gives us a lot, in terms of recreation, jobs and sanity-saving escapes.
But public land also needs our help, so mark your calendar.
Saturday, Sept. 23, is National Public Lands Day, and there will be lots of volunteer opportunities in the region.
Mark Twain National Forest is encouraging people to participate in projects, and you can do so by visiting their nearest Ranger District Office (Cassville, in our case) to speak to staff or complete a Volunteer Interest Form at https://forms.office.com/g/QKnK3wDyeT. If you aren't quite ready to physically volunteer but want to show support for your public lands, you can also choose to take the Mark Twain National Forest virtual stewardship pledge at https://forms.office.com/g/YFrG05eHtt.
George Washington Carver National Monument is looking for volunteers from 9 a.m. to noon that day to help with trail maintenance, landscaping and working on the grounds.
"Just a variety of things to make the park experience more enjoyable for the visitors," Diane Eilenstein, supervising park ranger, told us. "This is a great opportunity for folks to get to know us."
Contact them at 417-325-4151 for more details.
At Ozark National Scenic Riverways, they'll be repainting the historic Storys Creek one-room schoolhouse. Email infoozarkriverways@gmail.com for details, or you can send them a message on Facebook.
Eilenstein said National Public Lands Days "is the largest volunteer-led event in the nation."
Last year, more than 57,000 volunteers contributed an estimated $6.6 million in volunteer work for America's public lands. Events ranged from cleaning the wall at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., to helping with the release of California condors at the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona, to restoring habitat at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Maine.
Learn more about NPLD at NEEFUSA.org/NPLD.
Don't stop there. Public lands need your help year-around. Many parks have volunteer programs and friends groups, like the Carver Birthplace Association. Next time you are at your favorite park, ask how you can help.
It takes a lot more work than most of us realize or appreciate to maintain and protect our public lands.
National Public Lands Days is a great way to say thanks for all that public land offers, but also a great place to begin deeper involvement.
