National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands.
To encourage volunteerism, the Indiana Department of Transportation has partnered with State Parks for employees to have a place to volunteer. As part of the INDOT Cares initiative, agency employees will volunteer their time to help maintain trails, paint structures, clean lakes and help with various other projects.
“Volunteering is a great team-building activity for businesses and organizations,” said Jody Heaston, state parks volunteer coordinator. “The state parks are thankful INDOT chose us as a place to volunteer. With a large group of people, we will get a lot of much-needed work accomplished.”
“Our Indiana State Parks are a natural treasure,” said INDOT Commissioner Joe McGuinness. “The INDOT Cares program is about giving back to the community, and one of the most meaningful ways we can do that is to lend a hand in helping to care for these special places.”
State parks properties participating with INDOT Cares include Chain O’ Lakes, Pokagon, Prophetstown, Shades, Summit Lake, Mounds, Fort Harrison, Potato Creek, Indiana Dunes, Clifty Falls state parks and Patoka Lake.
In 2017, more than 100 INDOT employees volunteered their time for National Public Lands Day. Employees removed invasive plants, picked up litter, cleaned and widened trails, pulled weeds, painted signs and repaired erosion at 13 state parks.
To find a National Public Lands Day event near you, go to calendar.dnr.IN.gov and look on Sept. 22.