National Public Lands Day 2018
September 22 is the 25th annual “National Public Lands Day” — a day to celebrate and give back to our ‘wild and wonderful’ public lands.
Get outside and enjoy your public lands! But first, give back to the special places you love. The Land and Water Conservation Fund — which has provided WV with $240 million for public lands access and conservation — will expire at the end of the month. We’ve already sent 800 messages to our congressional delegation supporting LWCF, can you help us reach 1,000? Send a message, let congress know you support Land and Water Conservation!
Sent your letter? Now, get out there and explore! Here’s what’s going on across West Virginia for National Public Lands Day:
Friends of Blackwater is offering a volunteer opportunity for some of the historic structures on the Mon National Forest outside of Thomas. Work will focus on cleaning off the foundation of the old railroad roundtable and coke ovens.
The West Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club is leading two hikes, one to Antietam National Battlefield (free National Park entry on National Public Lands Day) and one in Holly River State Park, with an emphasis on old growth forest ecology.
The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) — one of the key organizers of Public Lands Day events across the country — is partnering with the Army Corps of Engineers to lead a cleanup along the shores of Tygart Lake. A few volunteers may even be able to accompany the ACOE ranger boat to clean up floating trash and debris.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is giving a presentation on karst geology at the Canaan National Wildlife Refuge.
The National Park Service is hosting a living history reenactment at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park where visitors can learn about the experience of runaway slaves.
West Virginia State Parks are hosting a number of events over the weekend of National Public Lands Day. You can enjoy wild edibles at North Bend State Park’s Nature Wonder Weekend, the Lumberjackin’ Bluegrassin’ Jamboree at Twin Falls State Park, Hunting and Fishing Day at Stonewall Jackson Resort, or a full moon hike and Pickin’ on the Porch at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.
Summary of Events
Historic Sites Clean Up, 10am, Thomas WV
Friends of Blackwater
Battlefield Hike, 10am, Antietam National Battlefield, MD
WV Chapter of the Sierra Club
Old Growth Ecology Hike, Holly River State Park
WV Chapter of the Sierra Club
Living History Renactment, 11am, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
National Park Service
Tygart Lake Clean Up, 8:30am, Grafton WV
US Army Corps of Engineers
Karst Geology Presentation, 3pm, Canaan Valley NWR
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Nature Wonder Weekend, North Bend State Park
WV Division of Natural Resources
Lumberjackin’ Bluegrassin’ Jamboree, 10am, Twin Falls Resort State Park
WV Division of Natural Resources
Hunting and Fishing Day, Stonewall Jackson Resort State Park
WV Division of Natural Resources
Front Porch Pickin’, 5pm, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
WV Division of Natural Resources
Full Moon Hike, 8pm, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
WV Division of Natural Resources
