Start Volunteering
Hampton insists that you can't just go to a local park and start removing plants and making trails.
"The best thing is to contact the park rangers, see what they need," he says.
You can call your local parks and recreation department, who can put you in touch with the local park ranger's office.
If you don't want to go at it alone, find an event to participate in. The Public Lands Program wants to make sure you can find a volunteer opportunity nearly any day of the year, and thus the Public Lands Every Day initiative was started.
Thanks to this program, you can search on PublicLandsEveryDay.org and find an event or opportunity close to you.
More: 10 Inspiring Nature Quotes
Don't Stop There
Your interaction with parks shouldn't end when your day of volunteering does. "We're trying to get people out, not just to volunteer, but also recreate on public lands and learn on public lands," Hampton says. Here are a few ways you can take advantage of the parks you work to clean and preserve:
- Throw a party: birthday party, graduation party or family barbecue
- Run around with your little ones: play soccer, baseball or tag
- Relax: with a good book, a friend or your significant other
- Pitch a tent in the parks that offer camping
For people like Robb Hampton, volunteering is about so much more than picking up trash or planting a few trees. It's about educating people, encouraging the use of the parks and spreading the word that they're a valuable resource. You can go there to relax, play, or just get away for a little while.
"It's more rewarding for people to come out and play and learn, and that will cater to service down the road," Hampton says.
Take the lead of so many others and find a volunteer opportunity to reconnect with the parks around you.
More: Best National Parks for Camping
Find a Campground at ReserveAmerica.com.
