September is National Public Lands Month. The effort to celebrate, conserve, protect and enhance our public lands culminates with National Public Lands Day on September 26th. Thousands of Americans will gather in shared purpose and spirit, on that special day in a fellowship of service, to 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. The theme of the day is turning support into effort to show how you value public lands. The volunteer day is a noble endeavor and deserves support and participation.
In 2026, however, the times in which we live call for us to do more.
Our public lands, across the Gulf and across America, are facing unprecedented assaults from politicians, developers, the oil and gas industry, mining and logging efforts, and other extractive industries. In Florida for example, over the last two years, we have defeated efforts to develop our state parks and swap away or surplus portions of our state forests and wildlife management areas, but 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 this year during National Public Lands Month 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 some mud on you. Come home reeking of bug repellent and sunscreen. 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 the local Sierra Club, Audubon Society, or Native Plant Society all regularly schedule and lead local trips into wild places and the parks next store.
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. 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. 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 or the amazing animals you saw through the binoculars.
Then speak up for our public lands.
Once you use our public lands and build memories and sense of place through them, 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, social media posts, videos, and multi-media projects using the things you saw or gathered on public lands. Share your creations with friends, neighbors, fellow congregants, and co-workers. Share them on social media and with elected officials. Be the person people seek out for your latest story about adventures in the wilds of our public lands.
Ask candidates running for state level public office if they support your state’s land acquisition program and are willing to fully fund it. Support the ones who say yes. Urge the ones who say no to reconsider. Tell your public lands stories to all who will listen.
Ask candidates 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. Support the ones that will and ask those who waiver to reconsider. Tell your public lands stories to all who will listen.
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. Ground that in time spent in our state parks and state forests. Speak 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.
To learn more about National Public Lands Day events in your community please visit: https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/conservation/national-public-lands-day
To learn more about the Florida 2026 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday please visit: https://floridarevenue.com/HuntFishCamp/Pages/default.aspx
An edited version of this blog post was published in several Florida newspapers and social media sites.
Joe Murphy is a native and lifelong Florida who lives along Florida’s Nature Coast. He is a former staffer and Board Member for Healthy Gulf and contributes these blog posts as an alumnus and supporter. You can follow Joe on Facebook at: https://bit.ly/joemurphyfacebook