Volunteers needed for National Public Lands Day 

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Olympic National Park and the Friends of Olympic National Park will host two volunteer events on National Public Lands Day.

Volunteers will remove invasive plants and also plant native species in the national park’s headquarters district. 

Both events take place Saturday, Sept. 24 on National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort on public lands. 

Members of the public are invited to join in these projects to take part in this nationwide celebration of public lands and volunteerism. 

“National Public Lands Day is a great day to get involved at Olympic National Park,” said volunteer and youth coordinator Heather Stephens. “Whether you’re an experienced volunteer or new to volunteering, you are welcome to join us for this fun and rewarding day of public service.” 

Volunteers at either event will receive National Public Lands Day passes good for one day of free entrance to participating public lands sites, including national parks. 

Native planting will take place at the historic Macy House from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Macy House was completed in 1940 and was home to Olympic National Park’s first superintendent, Preston Macy. The Friends of Olympic National Park will lead volunteers in planting native plant species in the areas surrounding the house, and officials noted the native plants used in the project will come from the National Park Service’s Matt Albright Native Plant Center. 

Participants should dress for the weather and bring work gloves; additional supplies will be provided. Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at the flagpole in front of the Olympic National Park Headquarters Building, located at 600 East Park Ave., Port Angeles. 

Also on Saturday, Olympic National Park will host a volunteer event to remove invasive plants along the trails and areas surrounding the national park’s visitor center. Participants will learn about invasive plants and their disruptive impact on park ecosystems while helping to remove Herb Robert and wall lettuce. 

National park rangers will lead volunteer groups starting at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Participants should dress for the weather, bring work gloves, and plan to volunteer for about 90 to 120 minutes total. Some work gloves are available for use during the event. Both groups will meet at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center, 3002 Mount Angeles Road, Port Angeles. 

Volunteers can go to folym.org for more details.