National Public Lands Day, THIS Saturday!

This Saturday, September 29th, Mount Rainier is one of over 2,000 sites for National Public Lands Day volunteer festivities!

Eight federal agencies as well as nonprofit organizations and state, regional and local governments participate in the annual day of caring for public lands. National Public Lands Day is important because…

• NPLD educates Americans about the environment and natural resources, and the need for shared stewardship of these valued, irreplaceable lands;

• NPLD builds partnerships between the public sector and the local community based upon mutual interests in the enhancement and restoration of America's public lands; and

• NPLD improves public lands for outdoor recreation, with volunteers assisting land managers in hands-on work.

 This year we will be meeting at the White River Campground, Saturday morning between 8:30 and 9:00 am. We will meet at the evening program camp fire circle. There you will be able to sign up for a project to in the Sunrise area. We ask that you please park in the climbing and backpacking parking lot or just before the campground ranger station. Please avoid parking in empty campsites.

This year we will have trails projects with our park's trail crew and revegetation projects with the park's restoration crew.

Washington Trails Association will also have a work party in the Sunrise area. They will be meeting at the Sunrise Visitors Center at 8:30 am, separate from the White River Campground meet up at 9:00 am, as this is a regular work party event for them. You may show up Saturday morning at Sunrise for the WTA event, but they request that you sign up on their website (www.wta.org) for the specific work party ahead of time. This way they know how many volunteers to expect.

 Because you will be using your free admission to the park to volunteer, you will receive a National Public Lands Day voucher for free admission, on a day of your choosing, at Mount Rainier National Park!

We hope you can make it out to help our mountain and celebrate public lands!