Visitors Hiking on Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming

The crisp air and vivid colors of fall make forests especially welcoming this time of year. The Forest Service wants everyone to get out and enjoy the natural beautiful of America’s lands, so in observance of National Public Lands Day, on Saturday, Sept. 29, we will again waive the standard amenity fees for a full day at recreation sites nationwide.

This annual fee-waiver event is designed to instill a sense of shared stewardship and educate the public about the importance of natural resources. This is the third time this year the Forest Service is offering fee waivers. Read more »

Urban children in Albuquerque, N.M., will soon be able to descend on 20 acres of forestland along the Rio Grande River, where they will have the freedom to climb onto an elevated fort, hike on a trail through the cottonwood forest to learn about the different plants and animals and do what all children are supposed to do: play outside.

Children looking through microscopes in a forest.

Children’s Bosque – Spanish for forest – is one of eight Children’s Forests and 23 More Kids in the Woods projects in 18 states awarded a total of $1 million in cost-share grants from the U.S. Forest Service. Each of the winning projects has the backing of partners and local communities, and winning proposals either expand current projects or create new ones. Read more »

Students from the Paul Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., take to the streets pretending to use binoculars in search of their urban forest with a member of the Missoula (Montana) Chlidren's Theatre. The Missoula Children's Theatre works with the U.S. Forest Service to develop interactive, engaging performing arts school assemblies and workshops.

Students from Paul Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., found out the fastest way to find a forest within their urban community: walk outside. Read more »

Hiker on Santa Lucia Trail Ventana Wilderness, in California. U.S. Forest Service Photo by Lynn Olson.

The U. S. Forest Service will waive fees honoring those brave men and women who have protected our country and nation’s lands during the long Veterans Day weekend November 11-13 at some recreation sites.  This is the third time this year that fees have been waived to encourage visitors to come to a national forest. Read more »

River Clean Up Crew on Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania

Just one day after the start of autumn,  the Forest Service is waiving fees at hundreds of recreation sites across the country on Saturday, Sept. 24 in recognition of Public Lands Day. Read more »

Cross posted from the Let’s Move! blog:

The U.S. Forest Service and community partners have been encouraging children and their families across the country to spend time reconnecting with nature, trying new recreation activities and just having some good fun. The effort is called National Get Outdoors Day, or GO Day.

The Forest Service has a bounty of children’s programs to help connect children to their natural environment, all of which support two key priorities of the Obama administration: President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative that seeks to connect people to the outdoors and creates partnerships between the federal government and American communities on conservation issues; and the Let’s Move! Outside campaign launched by First Lady Michelle Obama, which strives to offset childhood obesity through outdoor activities and healthier lifestyles. The agency also has collaborated with the Ad Council to develop a new public service announcement called “Unplug,” which is part of Discover the Forest campaign. Nationwide, more than 80 Forest Service locations will be providing free recreational and educational activities. Many events are designed to better engage urban and multicultural youth in nature-based activities and attract first-time visitors to public lands. Read more »