Celebrating Public Lands Day 2023: Captivate, Activate, Recreate

Public lands — whether that’s a neighborhood park or a remote wilderness area —should nurture the soul and provide communities with fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink and the space for humans and wildlife to move and explore. Public Lands Day (Sept. 23) celebrates all these aspects and is an opportunity to protect public lands for all people and for all time. In 2023, we’re spending the entire week leading up to Public Lands Day exploring what makes public lands great. Our theme this year is Captivate, Activate Recreate.

Captivate is learning about our natural world and how to access and sustainably use public lands. This day is about learning, educating and finding the resources that you need to successfully access and understand public lands better.

• Enjoying nature shouldn’t require a lot of time or money. Learn about fee-free entry days at state and national parks. Don’t have the equipment? There are gear rental programs, too.
• Learn about public lands stories you may have not heard before by exploring The Wilderness Society’s Public Lands Curriculum. This resource aims to tell a more complete history of public lands, representing the perspectives of Indigenous peoples, communities of color and others who are left out of the traditional narrative.

Activate is knowing that your voice matters in public lands decisions. Public lands are not always managed in the public’s best interest. We have an opportunity to act and effect real change to preserve our forests, grasslands, rugged mountains and waters for future generations.

• Climate change is hurting people and the planet by causing extreme weather events, food insecurity and creating conditions that lead to more severe drought and wildfires, among other effects. Around 25 percent of U.S. fossil fuel emissions – which contributes to global warming - come from public lands. Tell the White House that polluters need to clean up their oil and gas messes and that climate impacts need to be front and center in all environmental decision-making.
• Tell insurance companies to stop insuring drilling or oil and gas exploration projects in Alaska’s Arctic Refuge.
• Support the expansions of Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
• Urge Congress to pass the Environmental Justice for All Act, the Outdoors for All Act, the Roadless Area Conservation Act, and so many more.

Last, we are defining Recreate as any sustainable and responsible way that people use public lands, whether that’s meditating, foraging or rock climbing. We want to unite people to experience public lands together safely, responsibly and aim for all people to feel included when on the trails or in the waters.

• A lot of people face physical and cultural barriers to enjoying time outdoors. But everyone should feel welcome and included in nature. Sometimes that means rethinking what our natural features are named, creating a new vision for conservation or finding people with similar interests and skills to enjoy nature with.
• Find an LGBTQ+ outdoors group or Public Lands Day events nearest you.
• Learn about influencers who are smashing stereotypes and challenging stigmas and redefining the notion of what it means to be “outdoorsy.”

Public Lands Day is an opportunity to ask: Can I see trees from my house? Does my neighborhood have a park nearby? Can I easily ride a bus or train to a regional or state park? Are governments at all levels making decisions about public lands that I agree with? If any of the answers surprise you, then it’s time to get involved. We can help. 

Happy Public Lands Day! Here’s to captivating, activating and recreating on public lands on Sept. 23!

**Thank you to Raul Guerra for the Public Lands Day design! You can find his website here.