August 10, 2022, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For additional information, contact Marci Mowery at 717-236-7644 or mmowery-ppfff@panet.
Camp Hill, PA – A partnership of organizations, including the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and WeConservePA, with support from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnership Program, is calling on groups and individuals to join us in hosting volunteer events and programs as part of the first Healthy Lands Week from Sept. 24 to Oct. 2, 2022.
The goal of Healthy Lands Week is to bring Pennsylvanians of every interest area out to lands and waterways to learn about natural and cultural resources, participate in stewardship projects or enjoy the natural landscapes. From beautification projects and clean-up events to invasive species removal and maintenance projects, groups are invited to market an existing event or create a new event during Healthy Lands Week.
“Volunteers are important stewards of many places in Pennsylvania’s landscape. Visitors, habitats, waterways, local economies and more benefit from the efforts of volunteers,” said Marci Mowery, President of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, one of Healthy Lands Week founding organizations. “Healthy Lands Week provides Pennsylvanians with the perfect opportunity to help protect these special places for future generations.”
Groups from around the commonwealth can host events and volunteer opportunities through the Healthy Lands Week website. Friends groups, hiking clubs, biking clubs, church groups, service organizations, businesses, outdoor clubs and anyone else who wants to show their appreciation for the outdoors is invited to host an event.
“We are honored to partner with like-minded organizations to support the work of volunteers all across the state who are committed to caring for our shared public spaces.” Said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.
Healthy Lands Week is a statewide initiative to strengthen volunteer activities and raise awareness of stewardship of public lands. Healthy Lands Week is a cooperative venture of statewide partners whose collective initiatives create and steward clean, safe and accessible parks, forests, waterways and other public lands.
“It’s a ready-made opportunity for Pennsylvania’s park enthusiasts to help care for the lands and spaces they love the most,” declares Tim Herd, CEO of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society. “Healthy Lands Week invites everyone to help keep our parks and open spaces clean, safe, and ready-to-use, and to multiply their healthful impacts with many others statewide.”
Visit HealthyLandsWeek.org to register an event. Looking to volunteer? Follow the website to locate volunteer or educational opportunities near you.
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About the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation
The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation supports 121 state parks and 2.2 million acres of forest by coordinating volunteers, activities, and donations through its 48 chapters. The mission of the foundation is to inspire stewardship of Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests. To learn more about PPFF, visit https://paparksandforests.org/.
To learn more about the Protect Our Parks and Forests initiative, view the StoryMap, and join us in taking action, please visit https://protectourparksandforests.org/.
#ProtectOurParksAndForests
Follow us on social media:
Facebook: @PennsylvaniaParksAndForestsFoundation
Twitter: @PaPFF
Instagram: @paparksandforests
LinkedIn: Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation