Before everything everywhere becomes the familiar sights, sounds and smells of Fall in Ohio and Halloween, why not explore some of your state and/or nearby national parks in honor of the National Public Lands Day on Sept. 24?
This year marks the 29th anniversary of National Public Lands Day, a nationwide celebration meant to bring out thousands of volunteers to help restore and improve public lands around the country. It is also meant to encourage enjoyment and use of these lands.
Organized and led by the National Environmental Education Foundation, it is the largest single-day volunteer event for America’s public lands and is always held on the fourth Saturday of September. The National Park Service and other federal agencies help as well in this endeavor.
National Public Lands Day (NPLD) allows us outdoor lovers to give back to these places we are so fond of having the opportunity to enjoy. Over the last decade, more than one million volunteers have donated nearly 5 million hours of their time for public lands on this day, worth an estimated $133 million.
Volunteers roll up their sleeves to help restore and preserve public lands, from iconic national parks and rivers to local urban green spaces They give back by repairing trails, collecting trash, or other maintenance needed around the parks. The 2008 NPLD featured an initiative to plant one million trees in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps. At the end of the day, more than 1.6 million trees were planted.
Public lands include national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, forests, grasslands, marine sanctuaries, lakes, and reservoirs, as well as state, county, and city parks that are managed by federal, state, and local governments. Ohio has 26,222,080 acres of public lands. And Ohio was the first state to be surveyed with a prototype of the Public Land Survey System during the 18th and 19th century.
These are the places outdoor enthusiasts rely on for rejuvenation and relaxation, recreation and education, and a great many other activities throughout the seasons. They provide a beautiful bounty of wildlife and nature to explore. We hike the trails, camp, and picnic with family and friends
This is also one of five days in a year when it’s a “Fee-Free Day” (waived entrance fees) at national parks and other public lands. So if you were considering visiting a new place or returning to a place you love, then going over the September 24-26th weekend is a fine time to go.
Unfortunately, I was not able to find any official National Public Lands Day events in our immediate area. But, If you are feeling adventurous, the Hopeton Earthworks, located in Chillicothe, will be hosting the event closest to us.
Park rangers at Hopewell Culture NHP are hosting a Monarch tagging volunteer day as their way to celebrate National Public Lands Day. It will be held Saturday, September 24th from 10:00am to 1:00pm, at, Ohio.
Participants will learn how to catch and tag monarchs, as well as about the migration and population size of monarch butterflies. Eastern monarch butterflies are now flying through Ohio on their way from summer breeding areas to overwintering sites in Mexico, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Monarchs may travel 50 to 100 miles per day, making this one of the most impressive migrations in the animal kingdom. The journey may take them thousands of miles before they reach their destination.
The event is free and registration is not required. You can drop in throughout the event to participate for a few minutes or the whole time. All supplies will be provided. While there, I would highly recommend enjoying the Earthworks. It was reopened in 2016 for visitors and has a 1.1 mile trail (round trip) that leads to an overlook area for viewing the earthwork remnants.
The Hopeton Earthworks is a more primitive site and was one of the first places in North America where the principles of scientific archeology were applied, two thousand years ago. American Indians of the Hopewell culture gathered in the Scioto River and Paint Creek valleys to build enormous geometric earthworks.
The construction of the earthworks was purposeful: parallel walls were constructed to align with the sunset on the winter solstice and the walls of the enclosure were constructed of carefully selected soil types. Red clay soil was used on the exterior of the walls and yellow clay soil was used on the interior walls. Even more remarkable, the Great Circle’s diameter of 1,050 feet was repeated at four other earthworks sites: Circleville, High Bank, Newark, and Seal.
Should you want to stay closer to home you can still acknowledge this special Public Lands weekend by checking out a few events at local state parks.
A scenic drive down Pleasant Valley will lead you to Malabar Farm and the 45th Annual Heritage Days.
One of Ohio’s largest free outdoor craft and living history festivals, the event begins Saturday, Sept. 24 and runs through Sunday, Sept. 25. All activities will happen between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. both days.
Started to preserve and share early Ohio history, Heritage Days has educational displays, 18th Century Living History Camp, crafts, primitives, Civil War demonstrations, antiques, draft horse wagon rides and antique tractors. There will be family friendly live music and food stands.
A must-see at Malabar Farm, is a tour of the Big House where owner Louis Bromfield and his family lived. A dedicated conservationist and famed author, Bromfield purchased three worn-out farms and turned them into thriving farmland, now known collectively as Malabar Farm. One of my favorite places to stop by each visit is the barn across from the Big House. There are always animals to be found and it is a great vantage view point.
Malabar has several hiking paths that lead you through a few different landscapes, each of which never becomes uninteresting, even if walked many times over. So if the weather is inviting, I encourage you to take an enjoyable walk while there.
The popular Malabar Barn Dance will swing into action on Saturday night, from 7-10 pm and there will be archeological displays on Sunday.
At Charles Mill Lake, the princesses are returning to host another enchanted event for young girls. The Princess in the Park event will be held Saturday, September 24th, with two sessions available: Afternoon Party from 3 to 5 p.m. or Twilight Party from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
This is a wonderful chance for every little girl to experience little wonderment and enjoy a day at the park fit for a princess. They can dress in their finest royal costumes while exploring the great outdoors. Each princess will participate in a craft, royal tea party, snack, face painting and horse drawn carriage ride through the park.
The event is for ages 3 and up. Parents must accompany the princesses throughout the event, however only the participating child must register. The tickets cost $25 per child and there is a limited amount of tickets available.
Registration can be completed at https://mwcd.ticketleap.com/princess-in-the-park-at-charles-mill-lake-park2022/
