September 18, 2018 – National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 22 is a fee free day for all national parks, including Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Our park rangers are celebrating with a full day of volunteer activities for visitors who wish to give back during their visit to Lodgepole and Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park.

The day will kick off at the Lodgepole Visitor Center at 10 a.m. with a presentation about the importance of community science and why it matters to the diverse ecosystem of the parks. The BioBlitz will consist of identifying and monitoring wildlife and recording findings. Groups will be looking for insects, birds, and fungus.
Other volunteer activities include trail maintenance and litter pickup. Visitors will join park rangers in rehabilitating specific trails in the Giant Forest as well as collecting trash and learning more about the parks.
After participating in any of the volunteer activities, participants will be awarded a day pass into any public land in the United States to be used on a future date.
The day of activities will take place from 10 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
  • At 10 a.m., the day will start with a presentation at the Lodgepole Visitor Center about the importance of community science and current techniques of monitoring wildlife during a BioBlitz. Participants will then have the option of traveling in groups to identify and monitor wildlife, recording their findings. Some groups will specifically be looking for insects, birds, and fungus.
  • At 12 p.m., participants can meet a ranger at the Upper Sherman parking lot to collect trash around the Sherman Tree and Congress Trails – an important activity to keep our forests beautiful.
  • At 1 p.m., participants can meet a ranger at the Upper Sherman parking lot to hike 2 miles around the General Sherman Tree and Congress Trail to rehabilitate “social” trails that have been established throughout the summer – an activity best for individuals wishing to do physical work, use tools, and enjoy a long hike.
  • At 2 p.m., participants can meet a ranger at the Crescent Meadow parking lot to hike around Crescent Meadow rehabilitating “social” trails in order to protect the fragile meadow environment.
  • At 3 p.m., participants can meet a ranger at the Giant Forest Museum to walk the Big Trees Trail to collect trash, beautifying the region around Round Meadow.
For more information contact the Lodgepole Visitor Center at (559) 565-4436 or visit our website www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit.