Celebrate National Public Lands Day at Spring Valley Nature Center

Volunteer and help the environment at Spring Valley on National Public Lands Day.

Schaumburg Park District's Spring Valley Nature Center, 1111 E. Schaumburg Road, will host National Public Lands Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 24.

Volunteers will help collect seeds of rare native grasses and wildflowers which will be used to plant additional prairie acreage within Schaumburg parks. Each year, people are introduced to natural area stewardship practices at Spring Valley's monthly workdays, including National Public Lands Day.

The Chicago Wilderness Corporate Council is partnering with Schaumburg Park District to encourage participation at this year's event. The group promotes community service by local businesses and their employees at Chicago area nature preserves. In addition to corporate volunteers, Spring Valley welcomes families, youth groups and others interested in learning about stewardship of natural areas and contributing to local environmental efforts. Spring Valley volunteers will receive a packet of native wildflower seeds to take home.

More than 170,000 Americans will volunteer across the country on the Sept. 24 National Public Lands Day. This year is expected to draw the largest crowd in the program's history. Volunteers will help build trails, remove invasive plants and trash, paint signs, and beautify landscapes on America's public lands. As the nation's largest one-day volunteer event in support of public lands, there are more than 2,000 sites in all 50 states and the District of Columbia with a wide array of activities. Volunteers' one-day efforts will equal more than $15 million in improvements.

For information, call (847) 985-2100 or visit www.parkfun.com.

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