Love Our New York Lands

LONYL_Website_Banners_2025.png

The Love Our New York Lands campaign, launched in 2020 by the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, encourages all users of state-owned lands to recognize that these lands are shared by all New Yorkers, our families, and our neighbors, and we all need to take care of them.

This campaign offers New Yorkers and visitors guidance on Leave No Trace™ principles so that together we can help ensure these special places are protected for future generations. While enjoying these shared spaces, be respectful of other visitors. Share trails, treat people with kindness, and leave things as you found them for others to enjoy. Visitors are encouraged to think of themselves as responsible for helping protect these irreplaceable destinations for future generations:

One way to give back to our public lands is to seek out local or statewide cleanup days like I Love My Park Day or Canal Clean Sweep. To build on the success of these events and to carry the spirit of stewardship and volunteerism throughout the year, Parks & Trails New York as well as NYSDEC, the NYS Canal Corporation, and NY State Parks & Historic Sites, are hosting themed statewide stewardship days in 2025 throughout the spring and fall.

Love Our New York Lands Events

Canal Clean Sweep (April 18-20, 2025)

Canal Clean Sweep is an annual statewide clean-up event that occurs along major greenways across New York State to celebrate Earth Day. Clean-ups primarily occur along the Erie and Champlain Canalway, the Glens Falls Feeder Canal, the Black River Feeder Canal, and the Rochester Riverway. Register now to host an event or volunteer at an event near you.

I Love My Park Day (May 3, 2025)

I Love My Park Day--the largest single-day volunteer event in NYS--presents a perfect opportunity to clean up our favorite parks and shorelines, plant trees and gardens, restore trails and wildlife habitat, remove invasive species, and work on various site improvement projects--all which help to prepare our iconic state park system and public lands for the start of the season.

  • To register an I Love My Park Day event, email ilovemypark@ptny.org.
  • If you wish to volunteer, registration will open in April on our website.

Adirondack and Catskill Park Day (September 6, 2025)

Hosted on the first Saturday of September, Adirondack and Catskill Park Day focuses on the conservation of land that makes up over 6.5 million acres within New York. Volunteers will help with trail maintenance in the Forest Preserve or participated in a campground cleanup. Stay tuned for registration information.

Wildlife Day (October 4, 2025)

Across the state, stewardship activities and educational demonstrations will be held to celebrate wildlife conservation and protect New York wildlife. Stay tuned for registration information.

Resources for Love Our New York Lands Events

Button Templates

Planning Tools

Social Media, Fliers, Templates

Template Certificates

Template Directional Signage

Template Thank You Letters

Volunteer + Photo Release

Sponsors

Are you interested in sponsoring Love Our New York Lands Events in 2025?

Please contact Will Cote, PTNY's Senior Director of Public Lands, wcote@ptny.org

FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF OUR 2025 SPONSORS HERE.

Parks & Trails New York (“PTNY”) is a registered 501c3 organization and not affiliated with its I Love My Park Day partners, the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. PTNY exercises sole discretion in selecting and approving all Sponsors for this event, and 100% of all Sponsor proceeds are donated to PTNY. Participation as a Sponsor does not constitute endorsement of any entity.