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| Dear NPLD Site Managers, Partners and Volunteers,
National Public Lands Day, now in its 17th year, has become the nation's largest single-day outdoor volunteer event. Mark your calendars today for September 25, 2010.
We look forward to building off the successes of previous years. We anticipate that we will have more sites and volunteers participate than ever before. In fact, our estimates show that over 170,000 individuals will volunteer at over 2,300 volunteer worksites.
This year, we are focusing on the recreational opportunities and health benefits that public lands offer. We are encouraging site managers to invite volunteers to enjoy a hike, bike ride or other popular recreational activity after a day of volunteering. If NPLD isn't the best day to have a recreational event, site managers can talk about opportunities at their site for future visits.
We are working to develop partnerships with organizations that focus on recreation and incentives to play on NPLD throughout the summer. In this newsletter, we highlight our partnership with KaBOOM! Make sure you check out the resources this partnership has to offer. Registration for NPLD is now open at www.publiclandsday.org. By registering now, site managers will benefit from receiving planning tips leading up to NPLD. New for this year will be Media Webinars for Site Managers on July 7 and September 9. Speaking of webinars, we will be holding our fourth capacity building webinar through our Public Lands Program on July 8. It will focus on Fundraising and Friend Raising. See details below. Thank you for your continued support and participation in the Public Lands Program and National Public Lands Day. We look forward to another wonderful year celebrating our public lands.
Get out there!
Robb Hampton,
Director, National Public Lands Day |
| Register for National Public Lands Day -
Sept. 25, 2010 | |
If you registered by June 1, you should be receiving your materials later this month in our June mailing. Register by July 1 to get materials in our July mailing. Materials will be sent out throughout the summer and early fall. Check for shipment updates on our homepage, www.publiclandsday.org. Site managers may also download an editable version of our promotional poster, as well as Spanish-language versions of the rack card and poster. A downloadable volunteer certificate is also available. Download materials here. |
The Power of Friends Network
Save the Date for Webinar #4 - July 8, 2010 |
Join us on July 8, 2010 at 3 p.m. EST for Fundraising and Friendraising, the fourth in a series of webinars presented in partnership with the Association of Partners for Public Lands.  More information about this webinar will be coming soon.
Three previous webinars, Nonprofit Governance, Providing Authentic Programs and Experiences through Partnerships and The Power of Friends: Building and Maintaining Partnerships That Work are available online. The Public Lands Program has also developed a list of resources on increasing organizational capacity, strategic planning, fundraising feasibility studies, evaluation tools, consultant relations and more. |
| KaBOOM! Play Day
Get Outside and Play on National Public Lands Day | |
 National Public Lands Day site managers are invited to get involved with KaBOOM! Play Days.
KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit dedicated to saving play for America's children. KaBOOM!'s mission is to create great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities.
If you plan to have some type of recreational or play activity for your volunteers on NPLD, this could be a perfect fit.
 To get involved, register for National Public Lands Day.You will then get a follow up email about how to get involved, and KaBOOM! will create an online "Play Day Planner" page for you. By participating in the Play Day, you'll be part of a national celebration to promote play and improve our public spaces for the next generation of America's kids. KaBOOM! offers improvement project ideas, games, recruitment tools and other activities to integrate some good old-fashioned fun and play into your event.
KaBOOM! Play Day Grants
By using the online planner and filling in the sections marked "Grant Requirement," you will be eligible for the KaBOOM! Play Day grant program. The grants are intended to help communities make an even bigger impact on public spaces and help make them a great place for everyone to play. |
Outdoor Recreation and Health
Get Outdoors and Get Fit on Our Nation's Best Playgrounds |  While volunteers will be working hard to improve their parks on National Public Lands Day (NPLD), they will also be enjoying America's natural wonders. NPLD is a gateway to discovering the beauty and opportunity for having fun at our parks. Check out National Public Lands Day's outdoor recreation partners and encourage your volunteers to go for a hike, take a bike ride, go fishing, go birding or just have fun playing outside on September 25th. As part of the Let's Move! campaign, First Lady Michelle Obama recently launched a new Let's Move Outside! initiative at Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas to draw attention to recreational opportunities on public lands. The initiative will involve the Department of the Interior and the USDA Forest Service and will encourage activities both on public land destinations and parks close to home. Learn more about the Let's Move! campaign to combat childhood obesity. The National Environmental Education Foundation's Children and Nature Initiative website offers additional information regarding the health benefits for children and outdoor play. |
Media Resources
Download 2010 Press Releases, Photos and More
May 25, 2010 -- Time Outdoors Linked to Prevention of Childhood Ailments: National Environmental Education Foundation's Programs and Resources Link Families with Nature
WASHINGTON, D.C. - One step to preventing childhood obesity, diabetes and depression is getting kids and families to spend more time outside, according to an article published in this month's Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care.
The May 2010 issue features the article, "Using Nature and Outdoor Activity to Improve Children's Health," which summarizes the latest research and shares information about the Children and Nature Initiative of the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). As part of the initiative, pediatric health care providers will encourage parents and children to spend more time outdoors and connect their patients to parks and other natural environments that are easily accessible. Download the full press release | | Find more press releases and media resouces |
Department of Defense Legacy Program
2010 Application Deadline Today, June 22, 2010 |
 The Department of Defense provides funds to the National Environmental Education Foundation for National Public Lands Day partnership projects on military lands open to the public for recreation.
National Public Lands Day projects that take place on Department of Defense lands, including those managed by the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and National Guard, are eligible to receive Legacy funding.
Legacy funds are awarded for projects that emphasize natural or cultural resource restoration. This year, each Legacy site is eligible for up to $6,500 of funding for NPLD.
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| Roanoke River Watershed Grants
Public Lands Program Awards Grants To Two Conservation Nonprofits | |
 In June 2010, the Public Lands Program of the National Environmental Education Foundation announced $5,000 grants awarded to community-based nonprofits located in the Roanoke River watershed. These nonprofit groups made the best case for how funds would engage the community in improving the health of the Roanoke River watershed.
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The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) provides knowledge to trusted professionals who, with their credibility, amplify messages to national audiences to solve everyday environmental problems. Together, we generate lasting positive change.
NEEF partners with professionals in health, education, media, business and public land management to promote daily actions for helping people protect and enjoy the environment. Through our primary programs- Classroom Earth, National Public Lands Day, National Environmental Education Week, Business and Environment, Earth GaugeŽ, and Health and Environment- we offer Americans knowledge to live by. To learn more, call (202) 833-2933 or visit www.neefusa.org.
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Our Programs
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National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve America's public lands. NPLD began in 1994 with three federal agencies and 700 volunteers. The Public Lands Program aims to increase the capacity of public lands stewards to engage local communities to help care for our public lands. The Public Lands Program provides online training resources, networking opportunities and small grants to increase the capacity of friends groups. |
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Free Water Quality Testing Kits | |
In partnership with World Water Monitoring Day, National Public Lands Day encourages volunteers to evaluate the quality of our nation's waters. World Water Monitoring Day is offering 100 FREE water quality testing kits to NPLD site managers. Register for NPLD and mark the check box to receive a kit for your event. If you have already registered and would like a kit, email npld@neefusa.org. |
| | National Sponsor |
Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. operates under a Global Earth Charter which was set forth to promote environmental responsibility for every aspect of the company and significantly reduce the impact that Toyota's vehicles have on the planet. In line with their commitment to environmental responsibility, Toyota has sponsored the National Public Lands Day program for 12 consecutive years. They have also sponsored Tour Grants and the Public Lands Program Capacity Building Grants.
Toyota encourages employees to get involved in NPLD activities by helping to care for parks, forests, rivers, beaches, shorelines and other public lands. Read more about Toyota's strong commitment to the environment and their support of National Public Lands Day. |
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| Corporate Sponsor
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Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Through its partnership with National Public Lands Day, Northrop Grumman employees across the nation will join together to improve and enhance public lands, supporting the company's corporate responsibility efforts in embracing green initiatives and translating values into action. | |
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Public Lands Education Resource Center
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NPLD has an extensive library of information, activies and resources to educate children and adult volunteers about the natural world:
Learn about National Public Lands Day's special efforts this year to educate volunteers about the connection between climate change and public lands and the importance of engaging urban youth at local city parks. |
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| Fee Free Day |
National Public Lands Day is a fee free day on many federally managed lands. Volunteers who participate on National Public Lands Day at federal land sites are rewarded with coupons for free entry into their favorite federal public land areas. Learn more. | | | Girl Scouts
and Boy Scouts |
NPLD has a special partnership with both the Girl Scouts of the USA and the Boy Scouts of America. Boy and Girl Scouts are invited to get involved in National Public Lands Day by volunteering at a local park, forest or other public land. NPLD is an excellent opportunity to educate Boy and Girl Scouts about the natural world while engaging them in the outdoors. Register now.
NPLD is part of the Linking Girls to the Land partnership with the federal land agencies. NPLD connects scouts to public lands in their region.
Girl Scout troops register to participate on NPLD and receive volunteer certificates.
Girl Scouts may be eligible to earn the Get with the Land patch.
Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts of all ages can install bird boxes, plant trees and native vegetation, collect native seeds, repair stream banks, remove invasive species and trash, renew trails and more.
Boy Scout troops register to participate on NPLD and receive scout volunteer certificates. |
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Get the word out about National Public Lands Day! Site managers can 
