Learn How You Can Help Spruce Up Our Beautiful Lands!

Partners: Girl Scouts

Linking Girls to the Land Through National Public Lands Day September 26, 2009

Girl Scouts

BACKGROUND

  • What is NPLD?
    National Public Lands Day, NPLD, is the largest volunteer event that benefits America's public lands. NPLD is held on a Saturday in late September when thousands of Americans volunteer to improve and enhance our nation's parks and other public lands.

    The first NPLD took place in 1994 with three work sites and 400 volunteers. The event has grown every year so that in 2008, 120,000 volunteers worked to improve over 1,800 sites in every state of the nation.
  • When is NPLD?
    National Public Lands Day 2009 will take place on September 26, 2009.
  • What are public lands?
    Usually when we think of public lands, we thing BIG. We think of the millions of acres owned by all Americans through our federal government such as Yellowstone National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Grand Canyon.

    • But public lands are also the open spaces, large and small, that are available for our pleasure and our use. Public lands include our school yards, city and county parks, neighborhood playgrounds, bike paths and walking trails. These lands are usually the responsibility of the city, county, state or federal governments. Girl scouts can participate in NPLD by working to improve any of these public spaces.

  • Linking Girls to the Land
    The year 2009 is the sixth year that National Public Lands Day is linking formally with the Girl Scouts through the Linking Girls to the Land Program. Linking Girls to the Land (LGTTL) is an interagency partnership between Girl Scouts of the USA's Elliot Wildlife Values Project and federal natural resources agencies. The program encourages every girl to participate in conservation and outdoor programs. LGTTL provides environmental education programs, outdoor recreation skills, volunteer service and career awareness.

    The NPLD partnership includes five Linking Girls to the Land agencies: Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service. By clicking on the Interactive Site Map on the NPLD website, you can learn about the projects that they have planned for NPLD.

    Go to the Linking Girls to the Land website at www.epa.gov/linkinggirls.com to learn more about the program and to find references to Girl Scout publications and other resources for all age groups. This will guide you as you plan an NPLD event that fits into your other Girl Scout activities and recognition programs. NPLD can be fun for all ages!

bulletNext Page