Baltimore Hosts National Public Lands Day Events

Volunteers Will Clean and Improve Boone Street Garden and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine on Saturday, September 24, Part of National Effort

Baltimore – On Saturday, September 24, more than 170,000 volunteers, including volunteers at two locations in Baltimore, are expected to visit their favorite parks, beaches, wildlife preserves, or forests and chip in to help improve these treasured places. They’ll be taking part in National Public Lands Day (NPLD), the largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands in the United States.

Volunteers at Boone Street Garden will plant winter cover crops, remove litter, build lined compost bins, mulch beds for fall and clear weeds. The National Aquarium is coordinating volunteers at the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine to remove debris and plant native vegetation.

WHAT:     National Public Lands Day – Baltimore Events

WHEN:    Saturday, September 24, 2011, 9am

CONTACT:  Boone Street Garden: Aliza Sollins, baltimorediy@gmail.com
(410) 707-1220

National Aquarium/ Fort McHenry: Maria Harwood, mharwood@aqua.org
(410) 659-4236

National media contact: Amber Taylor, 703-201-4893

This year marks the 18th annual National Public Lands Day, an event that brings together thousands of volunteers from coast to coast to improve and restore the lands and facilities that Americans use for recreation, education, exercise and relaxation. NPLD has provided more than $15 million in contributed services by volunteers annually to public lands.

As part of this celebration of public lands, NPLD is also supporting the first lady's Let’s Move Outside initiative as it engages families and youth to get outside and be active through hands-on fun activities.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. is the event’s national corporate sponsor for the 13th consecutive year. Northrop Grumman has joined as a contributing sponsor again for the 3rd year. The National Environmental Education Foundation (www.neefusa.org) coordinates National Public Lands Day.

Eight federal agencies will participate along with more than 250 state, county, and city partners and a host of nonprofit groups, including the Boy Scouts of America, The Girl Scouts of the USA, Student Conservation Association and The Corps Network.

More information can be found at www.publiclandsday.org.

Baltimore Media Advisory