ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The National Park Service is inviting neighbors and visitors to join in service projects and programs Sept. 27 to mark National Public Lands Day and the first anniversary of Tropical Storm Helene’s impact on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

National Public Lands Day, the country’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands, falls this year on the same date Helene swept through the region in 2024. Officials said the day will celebrate recovery efforts and highlight the resiliency of surrounding communities.

Volunteer opportunities will be offered across the parkway, including Citizen Science Bioblitz events from 10 a.m. to noon. Using the iNaturalist app, participants will help document plants, animals and fungi to aid research on biodiversity and ecological recovery. No registration is required, though volunteers under 18 must provide parental consent.

Bioblitz locations include:

  • Waterrock Knob Visitor Center, milepost 451.2
  • Mount Pisgah, Buck Springs Gap Parking Overlook, milepost 407.7
  • Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville, milepost 384
  • Museum of North Carolina Minerals Visitor Center, milepost 331
  • Moses Cone Estate, milepost 294
  • Peaks of Otter, milepost 85.9

The parkway will also launch new and returning volunteer positions related to visitor education and preventative search and rescue at Linville Falls, Craggy Gardens and Devil’s Courthouse. Additional service projects are planned at Doughton Park, Julian Price Campground and the Museum of North Carolina Minerals.

Ranger-led programs and demonstrations are scheduled at several sites, including the Peaks of Otter, the Blue Ridge Music Center and Flat Top Manor at Moses Cone Memorial Park. Details are available on the park’s online calendar.

Since last September, the Parkway has reopened hundreds of miles of roadway and continues trail and recreation area repairs with the help of staff, crews and volunteers. Those interested in trail maintenance can email blri_volunteers@nps.gov.

Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead by checking the Parkway’s website for maps, road status updates and information on ongoing recovery work here.