Event

National Public Lands Day

• 09/22/2018 Location: Byrd Visitor Center, Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Fee Information: Fee Free Day!
  National Public Lands Day is an annual event intended to encourage people to visit and support places like national parks through volunteer efforts. National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. Shenandoah’s event will be held Saturday, September 22, 2018, at Byrd Visitor Center, mile 51 on Skyline Drive.

  Monarch butterflies and milkweed seeds will be the focus for the 25th National Public Lands Day volunteer event in Shenandoah National Park. National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. This event will be held Saturday, September 22, 2018, at Byrd Visitor Center, mile 51 on Skyline Drive. The event begins at 9:00 a.m. and is open to the public.

  Schedule of Events

  Milkweed Seed Collection Volunteer Event, 9:00 a.m. to noon.

  Join us to collect the seeds and pods of the poke milkweed, Asclepias exaltata, and common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, in Big Meadows. Participants will learn to identify the milkweed plant and the differences between the fruit of these two species. Park staff and volunteers will lead groups at collection points. Collected seeds will be used in various plant restoration projects throughout the Park to re-establish native habitat, especially helpful in places where invasive plants are removed. More milkweed plants in the Park mean more food for Monarch butterflies!

  Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Volunteers must register at Byrd Visitor Center between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes, apply sunscreen and bug spray, and bring plenty of water.

  Interpretive Table & Children’s Activity Table, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

  Learn all about Monarch butterflies, their biology, and migration, with butterfly activities and coloring pages for kids of all ages. Come color and tag your own paper butterfly!

  Monarch Tagging Demonstration, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

  Park Rangers will demonstrate and describe the “hows” and “whys” of Shenandoah’s Monarch tagging project. Tagged butterflies will be tracked as they migrate south to overwinter in Mexico. Data gathered will help scientists determine Monarch migration patterns, survivorship, and population trends. The Monarch tagging program is being presented in conjunction with the University of Kansas Monarch Watch.

  Junior Ranger Program, 2:30 p.m.

  Join a Ranger for a program on butterflies and the important role the Park plays in protecting their habitat.

  Monarch Butterfly Release, 4:00 p.m.

  Watch as we release the tagged Monarch butterflies!

  National Public Lands Day is a great day to visit Shenandoah National Park, because it’s your chance to help with a Park-improving volunteer activity while learning how to help even more in the future.