Two hundred and fifty years ago, the idea of the United States was rooted in shared responsibility and civic participation. Today, that idea shows up not only in words or institutions, but in action.
National Public Lands Day (NPLD) carries this tradition forward by bringing people together to care for the public lands and waters that belong to all Americans. In 2025 alone, more than 55,000 volunteers took part in over 900 events across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, demonstrating that collective service remains a living part of the American story.
Through service, we strengthen the bonds that unite us and remind ourselves that the American spirit of generosity and community endures.
Rosie Rios, Chair of America250
As the nation prepares to mark its 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026, the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), the national coordinator of NPLD, has partnered with America 250 on the America Gives campaign to generate the largest volunteer effort in US history.
National Public Lands Day is one of the country’s largest single-day volunteer efforts focused on public lands. The 2026 theme, Caring for Our Shared America, centers on a simple idea: caring for these places connects past, present, and future.
By taking part through the America Gives campaign, volunteers put that idea into practice. Service on parks, forests, trails, and waterways is a way to care for places shaped by earlier generations, enjoy them as they exist today, and help ensure they remain accessible and healthy for those who come next.
National Public Lands Day
- 55,000+ volunteers participated in 2025
- 900+ events nationwide
- All 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico
- One of the largest single-day volunteer efforts focused on public lands
- Part of America Gives, a nationwide call to service for America 250
NPLD offers Americans a tangible way to take part in the nation’s story. Whether removing invasive plants from a Civil War battlefield, restoring trails in a national forest, or cleaning up a local park, volunteers connect everyday service to places that hold shared history and meaning.
Working alongside neighbors for a common purpose honors the promise of 1776 and meets the responsibility of today, helping ensure that America’s public lands and the values they represent endure for generations to come.
*Title image of volunteers at Piscataway Park provided by Accokeek Foundation.
