America's Great Outdoors

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Birdwatcher at Rock Creek Park

The America's Great Outdoors (AGO) Initiative was launched President Obama in 2010.  The goal of the AGO is to include the public in the nationwide discussion of how we should protect our natural heritage and outline a conservation and recreation plan for the 21st century. 

In the summer of 2010, the AGO hosted listening sessions throughout the United States to gather the opinions and ideas of the general public, youth, tribal leaders and other groups concerning the outdoors, conservation, recreation and usage of public lands.  The results of the listening session was compiled into a report released in February 2011 titled, "America's Great Outdoors: A Promise to Future Generations."

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) and its programs, including National Public Lands Day, were mentioned in the AGO report several times.  Here are two exerpts from the report:

Toyota’s Get in Gear Program promotes volunteer opportunities where Toyota associates live and work, with an emphasis on education, the environment and safety. Toyota funds a number of volunteer based environmental programs that promote community involvement. For example, for the last 12 years, Toyota has supported National Public Lands Day (NPLD), a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), the nation’s largest, single-day, outdoor volunteer event in the nation. Toyota also supports capacity building grants to strengthen the ability of friends groups to serve public lands in their communities. For over a decade, Toyota has encouraged its employees across the United States to get involved in NPLD activities by helping to care for parks, forests, rivers, beaches, shorelines and other public lands in their communities. In 2010, 3,500 employees volunteered at 39 sites around the country.
 
Hundreds of partners, including friends groups, nonprofits organizations, local community groups, private corporations, and others currently work with public land managers to help recruit volunteers for service on public lands. There are also a number of national days of service that help land managers and their partners get volunteers out on our nation’s public lands, including Earth Day, National Public Lands Day, National Trails Day, National Get Outdoors Day, and many others.

 

One of the AGO report recommendations outlined the creation of the Partnership for AGO that would support the vision and goals of the AGO Initiative.  The Partners would be the congressionally chartered foundaitons, including NEEF, the National Park Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Forest Foundation.

NEEF is committed to supporting to the AGO Initiative and its educational goals. 

Connect With NPLD

NPLD is a Friend to Friends Groups

Friends Groups are vital to the long term health and growth of public lands. NPLD supports Friends Groups through webinars, educational materials and the Every Day Grants program. Learn more about each of these opportunities in our resources section.

NPLD Supports Let’s Move Outside

Participating in NPLD is a great way to get the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity, while you lend a hand for public lands. Learn more about Let’s Move Outside and how NPLD is involved in the national movement.