The sun sets over Zion National Park in Utah. (Photo: Kim Hang Dessoliers)
Saturday marks the 20th annual National Public Lands Day, the largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands in the United States. At thousands of sites across the country, Americans from all stripes will come together tomorrow to lend their time and effort to the restoration of our country’s historic places and natural treasures.
As Secretary of the Interior, I will join hundreds of volunteers right here in Atlanta at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. We will be pulling weeds at the “I Have a Dream” International World Peace Rose Garden, removing invasive plants at Freedom Park, and cleaning the interior of Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was baptized, ordained and served as a co-pastor until his tragic death in 1968.
It seems appropriate that we celebrate National Public Lands Day here in Atlanta at the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a visionary leader who inspired so many Americans to go beyond themselves for a greater good. He fought for the notion that America might finally live up to its creed that all people are created equal and have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That same spirit of service and volunteerism toward creating a better America is what motivates us yet today. I am confident that Dr. King would be pleased to see people giving of themselves at a national park established in his honor.
Fonte: White House