In honor of National Public Lands Day, Tennessee State Parks, Friends Groups and Tennessee State Natural Areas are hosting a variety of volunteer stewardship projects, and free hikes and interpretive programs on Saturday, Sept. 22.
“We invite Tennesseans of all ages to join us in showing respect and appreciation for the beautiful public lands we call home,” said TDEC Deputy Commissioner for Parks and Conservation Brock Hill. “We’re grateful to Governor Haslam for declaring Sept. 22 Tennessee Public Lands Day in recognition of the valuable role our public lands play for Tennessee’s environment and economy as well as the strong volunteer spirit that’s alive and well across our state.”
This year, a variety of events and service projects are planned, including litter clean-ups, trail maintenance activities, ranger-led hikes and canoe floats. Events will be held at different times throughout the day and some parks are hosting multiple events. Last year, more than 1,000 people participated in this day of service.
National Public Lands Day began in 1994 with just three federal agencies and 700 volunteers. Now in its 25th year, NPLD is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands, which make up over 30 percent of America’s landscape.
For more information, including a list of hikes and events statewide, visit https://tnstateparks.com/about/special-events/national-public-lands-day-hikes/.