Va. State Parks offer volunteer opportunities in September

Virginia State Parks encourage everyone to visit their nearest park in September to participate in volunteer opportunities to support efforts including Stewardship Virginia, Day to Serve, National Public Lands Day, and the Sept. 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. All 36 state parks will offer organized volunteer events during the month.

The National Day of Service and Remembrance was created by Congress in 2009 as a day of service to commemorate the attacks on Sept. 11, 2002.

National Public Lands Day, Sept. 27, is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event in support of public lands and is coordinated through the National Environmental Education Foundation. For more information, visit http://www.nationalpubliclandsday.org.

Day to Serve is a regional collaboration of the governors of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland and the mayor of the District of Columbia dedicated to encouraging people to help those in need and improving communities. Service dates are between Sept. 11 and 28. For more information, visit http://www.daytoserve.org.

Stewardship Virginia is a statewide effort held twice annually to help citizens with projects that enhance and conserve Virginia’s natural and cultural resources. Volunteers who participate in Stewardship Virginia projects received a certificate of appreciation from the governor. Stewardship Virginia runs Sept. 1 – Oct. 31 each year.

All Virginia State Parks offer volunteer programs and activities that include park beautification, trail maintenance and shoreline debris cleanups.

Examples of projects across Virginia include:

Belle Isle State Park, in Lancaster, will collect food donations for the Northern Neck Food Bank at their camp store Sept. 1-11;

Powhatan State Park, in Powhatan County, will offer a cleanup of the James River via kayak on Sept. 11, a park cleanup on Sept. 13 and an opportunity to add to the park’s landscaping on Sept. 27;

On Sept. 13, Smith Mountain Lake State Park, in Huddleston, will have a cove cleanup canoe trip;

Staunton River State Park, in Scottsburg, needs help building a dry-laid stone fire ring in the equestrian campground on Sept. 13. This is a great project to learn how to build one yourself. The new fire ring will be christened with a hot dog roast.

Both False Cape and First Landing state parks, in Virginia Beach, will participate in the International Coastal Cleanup. False Cape’s cleanup is Sept. 20, and First Landing’s is Sept. 27.

Shenandoah River State Park, in Bentonville, will host an annual friend’s group river cleanup. The first 20 people to sign up will be able to collect trash from canoes courtesy of Front Royal Canoe Company on Sept. 21;

On Sept. 27, Shenandoah River, as well as Claytor Lake State Park, in Pulaski, Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park, in Rice, and Sky Meadows State Park, in Delaplane, will hold acorn collections. The collected acorns will be sent to the Virginia Department of Forestry for cultivation;

For a complete list of opportunities, visit http://1.usa.gov/1tCMS2Z Many .events require advance registration.

Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and offer dozens of festivals and concerts and thousands of educational programs across the state.

For more information about state park activities and amenities, or to make reservations in one of the 25 parks with camping facilities or 18 parks with cabins or family lodges, call the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at 800-933-PARK or visit http://www.virginiastateparks.gov.