Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, in association with the Gila National Forest and Heart of the Gila, announces “From the River to the Stars,” a National Public Lands Day event on Saturday, September 28, 2019. The day will kick off at the West Fork Trailhead where, from 10 am to 1 pm, visitors are welcome to join a short river walk to learn about the native plants of the Gila region as well as the non-native species which threaten them. At the end of the walk there will be an opportunity to help remove non-natives from the sensitive riparian edge.

Events continue at 2 pm with a special cliff dwellings tour. Participants are invited to meet a Ranger at the benches outside Cave 1 for a 45 minute guided walk through the dwellings. Because the program begins at the dwellings, it’s recommended that interested parties embark from the trailhead by 1:30 pm to make it to the meeting point in time. Finally, Ranger Blake invites guests to the Visitor Center parking lot at 8 pm for a 45 minute astronomy talk with a miniature star party to follow. Telescopes will be available for public viewing of deep space objects and further discussion.

National Public Lands Day is the largest single-day volunteer effort for America’s public lands.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of volunteers come together on the fourth Saturday in September to assist with various projects designed to restore and enhance public parks, forests, waterways and more. From trail maintenance to tree planting—volunteers of all ages and abilities roll up their sleeves and work side-by-side to care for public lands. The day also features a variety of hikes, bike rides, community festivals, paddling excursions, and other fun outdoor activities—all set on the backdrop of the country’s public lands and waterways.

Heart of the Gila is a non-profit based in the village of Gila Hot Springs at the headwaters of the Gila River in the Gila National Forest. The organization advocates for wild places and recruits volunteers to provide stewardship on public lands. 

This year Heart of the Gila received a grant from the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance to provide education on the values of the Gila wilderness and its native plants. The grant also provided funds for volunteers to learn about non-native riparian plants and to help remove these species from the biologically diverse canyons of the Gila Wilderness. Heart of the Gila works in partnership with the Wilderness District of the Gila National Forest. 

For more information on Public Lands Day: https://www.neefusa.org/npld

For more information about Heart of the Gila: http://heartofthegila.org/