Saturday is National Public Lands Day: Want to Lend a Hand?

Around the nation, people will gather Saturday, Sept. 28, to care for parks and other public properties in an observation of National Public Lands Day.

Locally, volunteers are needed to:

• Help collect native prairie grass seed (project is ideal for youth) at the Isle a la Cache Preserve in Romeoville.
• Cut non-native brush from a prairie and wetland using loopers and handsaws to cut brush at the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve. Others can make brush piles. Project is ideal for older youth and adults.
• Residents and organizations are invited to plant native prairie grasses and forbs, collect native seed and remove invasive plants at Eaton Preserve in Plainfield. A continental breakfast will be provided at check-in. Advance registration is required. For more information, visit www.conservationplainfield.com or email info@conservationplainfield.com.
• Volunteers are invited to join the U.S. Forest Service at the Nature Conservancy for a volunteer event at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Wilmington, about an hour south of Chicago. Check-in at 8:30 a.m. at the River Road Seedbeds and met Woodsy Owl for high-fives and hugs. Choose a project such as seed harvest (great for all ages), invasive removal, trail maintenance or collect acquatic insects to determine stream quality. Projects will be followed by a complimentary hot dog or veggie dog lunch. Also, there will be raffle prizes.

Learn more about National Public Lands Day and find other volunteer opportunities here.