Celebrating National Public Lands Month with Passion, Spirit, and Voice

Happy National Public Lands Month!

The effort to celebrate, conserve, protect and enhance our public lands culminates with National Public Lands Day on September 26th. This month, I am hopeful that many Americans will gather in shared purpose and spirit on this special day in a fellowship of service and join efforts at the local, state and federal level to serve our public lands.

Clean ups, plantings, wildlife surveys, trail maintenance, painting parties, group outings and invasive plant removals are just some of the options available to volunteers across the country. The theme of the day is turning support into effort and showing how you value public lands.

In 2026, this month and day are more important than ever.

Our public lands, across the Gulf and across the nation, are facing unprecedented assaults from politicians, developers, the oil and gas industry, mining and logging, and other extractive industries. In Florida, for example, over the last two years, we have defeated efforts to develop our state parks and swap portions of our state forests and wildlife management areas for development. 

Unfortunately, those who would sacrifice our public lands to greed and political influence do not give up. Bad ideas and bad actors simply wait for another opportunity—the bulldozers will return to the gates of Eden.

So let us commit during National Public Lands Month 2026 to give voice to place, to use passion and creativity to engage in advocacy and to let our elected leaders know that public lands are essential to our communities.

So, what can you do?

First and foremost, get out there! You love what you know, and you only know what you experience. Get wet, dirty and immerse yourself in all things wild. You can find a guided hike or outing through most state parks, and organizations like your local Sierra Club, Audubon Society, or Native Plant Society all regularly schedule and lead local trips into wild places and parks.

Be your own north star! Bust out the map and chart your own adventure down the river or along the trail in September. If you are in Florida, take advantage of things like the Florida 2026 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday (September 1st through December 31st) to buy and use the gear needed to watch wildlife, sleep under the stars or catch a mess of fish. Go online and see if your state or surrounding states have similar programs.

Pile the whole family into the car and head out. Families that spend time together on our public lands are stronger for it, so unplug the devices and plug into the world around you as a family. Your kids may not remember the last electronic experience they had, but they will remember the fish you caught and the amazing animals you saw through the binoculars.

Maybe most importantly, once you enjoy our public lands, fight for them. Give voice to them. Speak for them. They are the birthright of all Americans. The idea of setting aside natural places for outdoor recreation and wildlife is an essential part of the American experience and core to who we are as a people. Become part of that tradition.

Create artwork, music, writings, poems, pictures, videos or multi-media projects using what you learned or experienced on public lands. Share your creations with friends, neighbors, fellow congregants, and co-workers. Share them on social media and with elected officials.

Ask candidates running for state level public office if they support your state’s land acquisition program and are willing to fully fund it. Ask those running for Congress if they will speak up for hunters and anglers and defend public lands for recreational use. Ask them if they will stop efforts to build more roads, expand energy leasing, and weaken protections for public lands. 

Start traditions this September in recognition of National Public Lands Month that take you, your family and your advocacy as a citizen in a new and better direction. Spend time in our state parks and state forests. Speak up for what you have learned to love through time on the trail, the river and at the fishing hole.

Use these experiences to regularly contact elected officials and remind them that you, your family, and your community value public lands. You want them acquired, well managed and protected. That will be a mighty and wonderful way to observe National Public Lands Month this year.

Learn more about National Public Lands Day events in your community 

Learn more about the Florida 2026 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday

Joe Murphy is a native and lifelong Florida resident who lives along Florida’s Nature Coast. He is a former Wildlife Policy Specialist for NWF’s Gulf Program and contributes these blog posts as an alumnus and supporter. You can follow Joe on Facebook. An edited version of this blog post was published in several Florida newspapers and social media sites.