Lend a Hand to Protect Public Lands

TORRANCE, CA -- Sept. 17, 2014: – Parks (and other public lands) do their part. They provide a safe place for native flora and fauna. They help keep air and water clean. They provide a laboratory for environmental learning. So the time has come: ask not what your park can do for you but what you can do for your park.

The answer? Participate in National Public Lands Day (NPLD) on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014.

From small urban pocket parks and school yards to majestic destinations parks around the country, volunteers will plant trees, build trails, remove invasive plants and litter, replace signs and otherwise beautify the nation’s public lands.

For the sixteenth consecutive year, Toyota team members will be doing exactly that this fall. Over 3,900 Toyota employees and their families will volunteer at 40 different public land areas in 17 states and Puerto Rico.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) signed on as national corporate sponsor of the event in 1999. Since then, 32,665 Toyota employees have volunteered at 427 sites. They’ve:

Removed 192,150 pounds of trash and 4,270 pounds of invasive vegetation Built/maintained 282 miles of trails Planted 21,350 trees, shrubs and other vegetation

"Toyota's commitment to public lands and to NPLD continues to grow," said Diane Wood, president of the National Environmental Education Foundation. "Each year, their passion for the program and for finding new ways to give back to their own communities through this special day has surpassed our expectations. They are a true partner."

“This unique sponsorship supports Toyota’s global commitment to environmental stewardship by providing our employees with meaningful volunteer opportunities to help improve public lands in their local communities,” said Michael Rouse, TMS vice president of diversity, philanthropy and community affairs.

One third of America’s land is in public hands. Want to lend your hand to this cause? Sign up at: Public Lands Day.