Glossary and FAQs

The 30th annual National Public Lands Day celebration will take place on Saturday, September 28, 2024. The date is different every year, but it always falls on the fourth Saturday in September.

In 1994, NEEF held the first Public Lands Appreciation Day, soon to be known as National Public Lands Day, or NPLD. What started with one agency, three sites, and 700 volunteers has grown exponentially to become the largest single day volunteer event for public lands - with over 150,000 volunteers and 2,000 events throughout the US.  National Public Lands Day is a registered trademark of NEEF and the event is held annually the fourth Saturday in September.  Read more about NPLD's history.

NPLD has been growing steadily for almost 30 years, as has its positive impact on our public lands. Check out the Impact Reports from  2022 and 2023.

NEEF is the national coordinator for NPLD and works with federal and nonprofit partners to organize and promote their NPLD events as well as offer grants and incentives for conservation activities. National Public Lands Day is a registered trademark of NEEF.

NEEF is a nonprofit organization that was chartered by Congress in 1990 to partner with the EPA to advance environmental literacy nationwide. NEEF works to make the environment more accessible, relatable, relevant, and connected to the daily lives of all Americans.

NEEF's interactive map is also the definitive location for Site Managers and volunteers to locate NPLD events happening near them.

You can visit or bookmark our NPLD page, which is your main destination for all things NPLD. You can also sign up for email alerts there as well. Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #NPLD. 

Email NPLD@neefusa.org with any questions or for more specific information about National Public Lands Day.

While NEEF serves as the national coordinator, National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is supported by a diverse range of partners. This includes seven federal agency partners such as the US Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service, as well as over 250 state, county, city, university, and school partners, and many parks and recreation departments. 

Visit our history of National Public Lands Day (NPLD) to learn more.

National Public Lands Day is a fantastic opportunity to get off the couch and out into beautiful natural settings. Volunteers can participate as a family or with school, community, or national groups such as the Student Conservation Association, Outdoor Nation, Boy Scouts of America, or Girl Scouts of the USA. The event is a great opportunity to get kids outside and help erase the “nature deficit” among the next generation. All volunteers will get the satisfaction that comes from preserving and protecting their favorite public places, along with the physical exercise and family togetherness of a day full of enhancing, planting, and beautifying.

However, even if you are not able to physically attend an NPLD event, you can still connect to iconic parks, national forests, marine estuaries, and other public lands sites through one-of-a-kind virtual events such as ranger talks, virtual hikes and dives, and online citizen science projects that are both entertaining and educational.

Any project that benefits public lands can be registered for NPLD. The majority of projects are focused on habitat restoration, such as tree plantings, trash or invasive plant removal, bird or bat house construction, trail maintenance, fence removal, and gardening. Historic sites typically host beautification projects including trash pick-ups, painting, sculpture renovation, and other needed projects.

Some public lands do not have the ability to host volunteer events. In these cases, they usually hold some sort of education programming, both virtual and on-site. Examples include hikes, talks on public land issues, fishing derbys, festivals, classes on water quality testing, and geocaching programs.

Absolutely not!  Volunteering is not a requirement to celebrate NPLD. As a "fee-free" day at participating public lands, NPLD offers an opportunity to connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors with friends and family through activities like hiking, picnicking, and exploring our shared public spaces.

Participating federal land management agencies (Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Defense), in conjunction with the National Environmental Education Foundation, can provide “Fee-Free coupons” to NPLD volunteers in recognition of their invaluable service to our nation’s public lands.

Each coupon entitles the recipient and their family or vehicle companions to one “Fee-Free” day at any participating federal recreation or visitor site within one calendar year. 

You can use the Fee-Free coupons for any participating federal recreation or visitor site, not only the one you volunteered at.