Celebrate National Public Lands Day Sept. 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the U.S. Forest Service work center in Red Feather Lakes off Dowdy Lake Road.
The Canyon Lakes Ranger District is sponsoring the second-annual event to celebrate the bounty of public lands.
The service/learning day is broken into segments offering participation and education opportunities.
Volunteers can sign up for morning and afternoon sessions followed by dinner at the end of the day. Sessions include:
Tree Planting in the Dowdy Lake Campground: Work with professional silvaculturists planting 2,000 Ponderosa pine seedlings to replace some of those lost to the current mountain pine beetle epidemic. Open to ages 6 and older.
Reseeding the Dowdy Lake Dam: Work with professional range managers and the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife to help restore native grasses. Volunteers will rake native grass seed into bare areas and add straw mulch to prevent soil erosion and reduce weed infestations. Open to ages 8 and older.
Trail Work and Rehabilitation on the Mount Margaret Trail: Help install the new South Lone Pine Creek crossing and foot bridge as part of a major trail improvement project. Open to ages 12 and older.
Archeology CSI: Test your “CSI” skills as archeologists explain how professionals find, examine, and protect cultural sites on our forests. Suitable for ages 10 and up.
Map and Compass Geocaching: Have fun learning the basic skills of reading a map and compass. Then team up on a quest to find hidden treasure. Open to ages 8 and up.
Take a Kid Biking: The Overland Mountain Bike Club will host an opportunity for children 6 and older with a parent to practice safe mountain biking. Bring a bike and helmet.
Volunteers should wear appropriate clothes, boots, and sunscreen and bring water and a sack lunch. Sign up at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/npld. Prizes donated by REI will be awarded at a raffle during the appreciation dinner. Bring a lawn chair.
Volunteers should arrive by 8:30 a.m. and carpool if possible because parking is limited. Welcome and registration is at 9 a.m.
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