THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Join us outside and at your favorite local park for the 25th annual National Public Lands Day on September 22. This year’s theme is restoration and resilience and there are two opportunities in Los Angeles to participate in a volunteer activity - Paramount Ranch and Audubon Center at Debs Park.
Every day, natural disasters and extreme weather, human activities, and a host of other factors take their toll on our public lands, threatening the health and wellbeing of the people and wildlife who depend on them. Public land managers, volunteers, and others who steward these special places work tirelessly to restore these areas, make them more resilient to future threats, and ensure that people and wildlife continue to enjoy them for years to come.
This day, sponsored by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), helps ensure people of all ages and abilities connect with public lands for recreation, hands-on learning, and community-building. Three federal agencies and 700 volunteers launched the first National Public Lands Day in 1994. Today, it has grown to include 170,000 volunteers at over 2,000 sites.
“This is a great opportunity for family and friends to be outdoors, enjoy nature and be in the park," said Park Ranger Ryan Stead. People of all ages and abilities are invited to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to connect with public lands for a hands-on service learning and community-building event. We are looking for volunteers to help in the beautification of our parks to continue in preserving public lands.
● Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills: This event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Paramount Ranch, a historic, working Western Town movie set. Volunteers should dress in layers, wear closed-toe shoes, bring a reusable water bottle and wear protective footwear, pants and sun protection. Tools, gloves and refreshments will be provided. Participants must be at least eight years old and minors must be accompanied by an adult. Please RSVP to: e-mail us or call 805-418-3176. Address: 2903 Cornell Rd, Agoura Hills, CA 91301
● Debs Park in Northeast Los Angeles: This event will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Often described as a “hidden jewel," the Audubon Center at Debs Park is located in the fourth largest park in the city of Los Angeles. More than half of the park is covered in walnut-oak woodland, grassland, and coastal sage scrub, a remnant of the native habitats that once rimmed the Los Angeles Basin. The Center’s mission is to inspire people to experience, understand and care for the local natural world. We will care for this space on NPLD through a combination of mulching, invasive plant and trash removal, planting and enjoying a lunch together with each other and our birds. Lunch and a free public lands entry pass will be provided. Wear closed-toe shoes, sunscreen, a hat and bring a water bottle. To register for this event, contact e-mail us or call 213-253-0930. Address: 4700 North Griffin Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90031.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
