National Public Lands Day is celebrated annually at public lands across the United States. A signature event of the National Environmental Education Foundation, it promotes both popular enjoyment and volunteer conservation of public lands and is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands. The theme for NPLD 2020 is “More Ways to Connect to Nature.” This year’s celebration includes virtual events designed to connect the public to iconic parks, national forests, marine estuaries, and other public lands sites like Ironwood Forest National Monument.

For several years, Friends of Ironwood Forest has coordinated a volunteer event on NPLD where volunteers have gathered to clean up trash, remove old fencing, replace signage, replant vegetation, and more. This year Friends of Ironwood Forest is hosting a virtual visit to Ironwood Forest National Monument. Learn how volunteers work to protect and restore public lands. The guided virtual tour will include Q&A and is a rare chance to see this local treasure up close and personal from the comfort of your home.

When: Saturday, September 26, 9am
Where: Facebook.com/FriendsOfIronwoodForest
Questions: [email protected] or 520-314-1383

The Ironwood Forest National Monument, located 25 miles northwest of Tucson, is recognized for its rugged scenery, biological diversity and cultural legacy. Its 129,000 acres contain several desert mountain ranges and a significant system of cultural and historic sites covering a 5,000-year period. The Monument is also home to threatened and endangered species. One of Arizona’s best kept secrets, the Ironwood Forest National Monument serves as a biological anchor point for conserving some of our rarest flora and fauna, extraordinary landscapes, and irreplaceable archeological treasures.

Friends of Ironwood Forest works for the permanent protection of the biological, geological, archaeological, and historical resources and values for which the Ironwood Forest National Monument was established.