Making a Difference on Public Lands

NPLD 2025 IMPACT

On September 27, 2025, the country came together to care for and celebrate America’s federal, state, and local public lands as part of the 32nd annual National Public Lands Day (NPLD).

Our Home Outdoors

On September 27, we celebrated the 32nd annual National Public Lands Day, honoring our public lands as more than simply destinations, but as our collective backyard, spiritual center, and playground.

This year’s theme, Our Home Outdoors, highlighted how these spaces ground us, connect us, and give us a sense of place. By working together, we saw firsthand the role these lands play in our lives and the importance of caring for them for future generations.

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National Public Lands Day Impacts

55,550

Participants

916

NPLD Events

328,105

Number of Participant Hours

9,400,000

Value of Volunteer Service

NPLD volunteers at Dumbarton Oaks stand with bags full on invasive species removed — Volunteers with bags of invasive species pulled from the National Park Service’s Dumbarton Oaks Park. Credit Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy

NPLD volunteers work on trails at Mark Twain National Forest with the Ozark Trail Association — Volunteers from the Ozark Trail Association improve trails in Mark Twain National Forest. Credit Ozark Trail Association

a father helps his son ride a bike during an NPLD Bike Rodeo a Gooch Park. — Child learning bike safety at HUG Park Friend’s Bike Rodeo in Gooch Park. Credit Conner Ryan Creative

two NPLD volunteers carry a log for trail maintance at San Luis Valley — Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado carrying building material for grouse habitat improvement in the San Luis Valley. Credit Jay Poules

Conservation IMPACTs

26,672

Acres of Public Lands Restored

4,939

Native Plants Planted

847

Miles of Trails Maintained

1,419,044

Square Feet of Invasive Species Removed

462

Miles of Waterways Maintained

64

Public Facilities Built or Maintained

131,972

Pounds of Trash Collected

353

Number of Infrastructure Features Built or Maintained

State Parks Join the Fun

More than 56,000 volunteers took part in over 900 NPLD events across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. State, city, and county parks and preserves showcased the value of community conservation and enjoyment of local public lands close to home.

From Florida to Hawaii, more than 330 events were held in state parks and preserves this year, with three states—Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia—hosting an NPLD event in nearly all of their parks statewide.

Map of the US

NPLD 2025 Impact Heat Map of events by state

NPLD volunteers pulling weeds at Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram's Garden

Signature Site Showcases Past, Present, and Future of Conservation

Each year, NEEF partners with a public lands site to host the NPLD Signature Event, offering participants the chance to engage in meaningful conservation work, celebrate public lands, and enjoy educational activities at an iconic American outdoor space.

This year, Bartram’s Garden, a free public park in Philadelphia and North America’s oldest surviving botanic garden, hosted the event. Volunteers from the Southwest Philadelphia community joined NEEF staff and board members to harvest vegetables, mulch beds, and help maintain the plant rows at Sankofa Community Farm. This community farm produces more than 15,000 pounds of food each year for local farm stands and markets. It is maintained by paid high school interns working alongside community elders, neighbors, and volunteers, including during National Public Lands Day.

It was the perfect place to showcase this year’s theme, Our Home Outdoors. After the event, volunteers enjoyed beverages provided by NPLD sponsor Athletic Brewing!

This year’s theme for NPLD, ‘Our Home Outdoors,’ is a reminder that public lands are not just physical spaces, but where we come together, feel rooted, and develop a sense of place,” said Sara Espinoza, president and CEO of NEEF. “Bartram’s Garden exhibits this through their commitment to stewardship, community-focused approach, and status as a living connection between America’s past, present, and future.

Sara Espinoza, NEEF, President and CEO

New Resources for NPLD

As the national coordinator for National Public Lands Day, NEEF works hard to ensure NPLD site managers have everything they need to host a successful event.

Risk Ready for Outdoor Events

This new guide helps site managers plan and lead safe, successful events on public lands. From choosing the right project to preparing for weather and site-specific risks, this guide provides tools and resources to consider before, during, and after an event so site managers can focus on what matters: connecting people to public lands through meaningful service.

Download the Guide

Tracking Volunteer Impact

Key Considerations for Tracking Volunteer Impact is another new resource for site managers to help them decide when, how, and why to collect data. Collecting this information helps site managers create more effective events that meet their conservation goals while providing volunteers with a rewarding experience.

Download the Resource

Maximize Your Event

NEEF also hosted a public webinar, Innovative, Low-cost Ways to Maximize Your NPLD Event, to showcase how local organizations and land managers leverage free or low-cost community resources, techniques, and technology to improve recruitment and event quality, with real-world examples from Gateway Arch Park Foundation, and iNaturalist.

Watch the Webinar

Community Science

NPLD BioBlitz with iNaturalist

NEEF hosted a citizen science project on the site iNaturalist, an online community for sharing nature observations, identifying species, and contributing to science and conservation data, to host a special National Public Lands Day BioBlitz on America’s public lands. Participants from Oregon to Florida have made over 1500 observations documenting 715 separate species.

Learn More