Volunteers invited to celebrate National Public Lands Day on Sept. 30

Join Sarasota County as it celebrates National Public Lands Day with a volunteer event Saturday, Sept. 30, at Woodmere Park in Venice.

National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance America's public lands. Last year, more than 200,000 volunteers nationwide built trails and bridges, planted trees and plants, and removed trash and invasive plants. This effort contributed an estimated $18 million to improve public lands across the country.

On Sept. 30, Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources staff will work with volunteers to improve Woodmere Park by weeding, pruning, removing nuisance exotic plants and general beautification of the trail. The event will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Alligator Creek Trail at the park, located at 3951 Woodmere Park Blvd., Venice.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring loppers or hand pruners, work gloves, a hat, sunglasses, water, bug spray and sunscreen. Volunteers should also wear closed-toe, closed-heel shoes such as hiking boots or sneakers.

To participate in the event, volunteers should register in advance online at scgov.net (click on the A-Z tab, then choose "Volunteer").

Sarasota County has thousands of acres of land available to the public for hiking, exploration, passive recreation and other activities. These lands are also home to hundreds of protected and endangered species of animals and plants.

For more information, call the Sarasota County Contact Center at 941-861-5000.