National Public Lands Day Sept. 26: Volunteer projects in Greater Los Angeles area

Sept. 26 is National Public Lands Day. Many people are celebrating by paying tribute to our National Parks and public spaces at a local volunteer event or by visiting one of our many parks (Entrance to all 391 national parks is free). When the National Public Lands Day event first started in 1994, there were 700 volunteers. Last year, 120,000 volunteers removed trash, built trails and bridges and planted more than 1.6 million trees at over 1,800 locations across the country. This year, they are expecting an even bigger turnout.

There are four signature sites across the country for the event, including one at Angeles National Forest. It’s not too late to get involved. Look for a volunteer location in your state by entering your Zip Code. There are 18 Public Lands Day sites within 50 miles of Los Angeles 90058. For more info, and to see which sites need preregistration, consult the “Get Involved” page of the website.

Los Angeles and the Greater L.A. area

Location: Angeles National Forest, Big Tujunga Canyon Road | Tujunga 91042
Work Projects: Trash pickup along Big Tujunga Canyon riparian habitat area. Area of work: National Forest System Land from Forest Boundary to Stonyvale Picnic Area, approx. 3 miles.
Contact: Howard S. Okamoto, (818) 899-1900 or Martin Dumpis, (626) 574-5276

Location: L.A. Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive | Los Angeles 90027
Work Projects: Volunteers will work with the L.A. Conservation Corps on a number of rehabilitative projects around the zoo and surrounding Griffith Park, including maintenance, tree planting, and other miscellaneous tasks. This program is being held by the Get to Know project which is launching in the U.S. with this event (hence the Canadian contact number). [Update: Note that this event has all the volunteers they can accommodate]
Contact: Joel Krupa, (250) 861-9474

Location: Santa Monica Mountains NRA/Paramount Ranch, 2903 Cornell Road | Agoura Hills 91301
Work Projects: Volunteers will be able to choose a project that best suits their interests and abilities. Native plant restoration, creek cleanup, trail maintenance and fence installation.
Contact: Mike Malone, (805) 370-2317

Location: Bonelli Regional Park, 120 Via Verde | San Dimas 91773
Work Project: Tree planting and wildlife habitat restoration around lake. Volunteers will plant 50 native trees that provide nesting habitat for birds and will produce seeds that help grow even more trees. Bonelli requests that you RSVP to David Jallo at djallo@parks.lacounty.gov.
Contact: David Jallo, (909) 599-8411

Tip: You can also volunteer to help clean up Yosemite National Park Sept. 23-27.

More information: National Public Lands Day

— Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

[Photos: Top: National Public Lands Day logo. Credit: National Environmental Education Foundation; Bottom: Nick Tanturri, 25, and friend Sienella Thomas, 26, walk near the Mt. Hollywood Hiking Trail in Griffith Park on Aug. 26, 2009, Credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 4:12 pm by Jen Leo and is filed under Last Minute, Los Angeles, National Parks, News, Tips & Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.