National Public Lands Day in Big Bend National Park is this Sat., Sept. 29

Enjoy free entrance into Big Bend National Park, a chance to join with others to support public lands, and have a fun-filled weekend this Saturday, September 29.

National Public Lands Day is born out of a commitment to protect and preserve our natural treasures. It is an opportunity for all Americans to celebrate the majesty of our open spaces and contribute a direct effort in the work of conserving our public lands. In the 19^th year of this event more than 175,000 Americans will pitch in for National Public Lands Day 2012 at more than 2,000 sites nation-wide. In celebration, the National Park Service has designated September 29 as a fee-free day, allowing all visitors to Big Bend National Park, or any national park, to enter for free.

Big Bend National Park will host a special volunteer project on September 29 to help with planting trees for a river and wetlands restoration project. River and wetlands reclamation efforts involve intensive control and removal of exotic vegetation while restoring native and naturally occurring plants. Exotic plants such as buffle grass, river cane, and Tamarisk replace native plants and alter micro-habitats that can affect other native and natural resources such as birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. Removing the invasive species and replacing them with native species will help in returning an altered habitat to normal. Planting trees is a great volunteer project which offers immediate rewards and benefits the park’s long-term habitat restoration effort. Volunteers will need work clothes, long pants, long sleeve shirts, and a hat; tools and gloves will be provided. The project is free and open to the public. Please call Jane Brown or Natasha Moore at 432-477-2803 or e-mail [email protected] for more information and to reserve your spot.

National Public Lands Day is sponsored by the National Environmental Education Foundation. For other information and events check out their website at http://www.publiclandsday.org/ .