This guide is designed to help you plan and lead safe, successful volunteer events on public lands. Whether you're hosting a community cleanup, trail maintenance day, or nature-based education program, safety and risk management should be the foundation of your planning. The good news? Many of the tools and topics covered here focus on solid planning and can be enacted with little to no cost. With a few thoughtful steps, you’ll be more prepared and better positioned to host safe, positive volunteer events outdoors!

Developed by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), this resource draws on years of experience supporting volunteer managers on public lands, especially through National Public Lands Day (NPLD), the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. From choosing the right project and completing waivers to preparing for weather, site-specific risks, and emergency response, this guide walks you through what to consider before, during, and after your event.

Whether you’re new to volunteer coordination or a seasoned organizer, our goal is to help you build a safer, more resilient program so that you can focus on what really matters: connecting people to public lands through meaningful service.

This resource contains information and tips for:

• Organizational Preparation
• Event Specific Preparation
• Nature Preparedness
• What to do during the event
• What do to after the event