NAPA, Calif. - On Friday, Oct. 2, the Bureau of Reclamation’s Central California Area Office will celebrate National Public Lands Day at Lake Berryessa with a special event to help restore the lake’s native landscape.
Lake Berryessa staff are also excited to kick off President Obama’s Every Kid in a Park initiative at this event. Every Kid in a Park provides free access for fourth graders and their families to more than 2,000 federally managed lands and waters. After 12 years, every school-age child will have been able to visit these public sites for free, inspiring the next generation to be stewards of our nation’s shared natural and cultural heritage.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., volunteers, including participating fourth graders, will plant native trees and distribute mulch at the Oak Shores Day Use Area to create a shady grove for future generations to enjoy.
From noon to 1 p.m., fourth grade students may attempt to catch one of the many species of fish that thrive at Lake Berryessa. Fishing poles will be provided.
On-site registration and check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Oak Shores Day Use Area. Volunteers should dress appropriately for the weather, wear sturdy shoes and bring work gloves, if possible.
Individuals are encouraged to preregister by contacting Park Ranger Jennifer Onufer at 707-966-2111 ext. 112 (TTY 800-877-8339) or jonufer@usbr.gov. Volunteers may also preregister at www.volunteer.gov (under Find a Volunteer Opportunity, please type Berryessa next to Keywords). Individuals may participate without preregistering, but those who require special accommodation should contact Onufer as soon as possible.
NPLD is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. Begun in 1994 with three sites and 700 volunteers, it is typically held on the last Saturday in September. In 2014, about 175,000 volunteers worked at 2,132 sites performing a variety of services including building and maintaining trails and planting trees, shrubs and native plants. For additional information, please visit the NPLD website at http://www.publiclandsday.org/.
Reclamation is focusing on the connection between outdoor recreation and good health. With the growing concern about childhood obesity and children’s lack of time spent outdoors enjoying nature, NPLD is a perfect opportunity for families to experience what our public lands offer. As part of this effort, Reclamation supports the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, the Department of the Interior’s Let's Move Outside! program, and Every Kid in a Park. To learn more about these programs, please visit http://interior.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/index.cfm, www.letsmove.gov/lets-move-outside and www.everykidinapark.gov/.
For information on Lake Berryessa, please visit http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/berryessa/index.html.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
