ST. LOUIS|In honor of National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 30, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial will host two community events: The Great MonArch Migration Event, in partnership with the City of St. Louis; and the Great Mississippi River Cleanup. National Public Lands Day is an annual day of caring for public lands. It is a NPS-designated fee-free day.

“It is currently migration time for monarch butterflies,” says Rhonda Schier, Chief, Museum Services and Interpretation at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. “As butterflies head south, we celebrate elements of nature in our national park and invite park visitors and neighbors to join in special art and music activities, walks and talks, and science crafts and explorations. In celebration of Public Lands Day, there are free, family-friendly activities from morning to night, including the butterfly activities, a Mississippi riverfront cleanup and a United States Air Force concert in the evening.”

“It has been terrific to see the St. Louis community join together to help monarchs in ways that help people as well as butterflies,” says Catherine Werner, sustainability director for the City of St. Louis Mayor’s Office. “We are pleased that Milkweeds for Monarchs: The St. Louis Butterfly Project has been so successful, and continues to serve as a national model for urban monarch conservation.”

Here’s what’s happening at the park on September 30. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/jeff.

The Great MonArch Migration Event: 9 a.m. to noon at Luther Ely Smith Square
There are currently hundreds of monarch butterflies visiting the park. Join the National Park Service, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and pollinator experts from around the region, such as the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Saint Louis Zoo, for a morning of monarch butterfly-themed activities, including pollinator talks, monarch gardening 101, insect hotel building, butterfly painting, a photo contest and much more. Participants will receive free breakfast pastries and giveaway items (first come, first served). Please view this informational flyer for more details.

Great Mississippi River Cleanup: 9 a.m. to noon; meet at the bottom of the Grand Staircase, beneath the Gateway Arch
The community can help keep the Mississippi Riverfront beautiful by taking part in NPS’ riverbank litter pickup. Bags and gloves will be provided. Participants will receive a team T-shirt and also enjoy breakfast donuts.

NPS Fee-free Day: all day
NPS has designated National Public Lands Day as a fee-free day, in which the entrance fee at all NPS sites is waived. Visitors to the Gateway Arch can enjoy $3 off their adult tram ride ticket and free Arch Entry-only tickets.

USAF Concert at the Park: 6 p.m. on Leonor K. Sullivan Blvd., beneath the Arch
The United States Air Force Band of Mid-America performs a free concert on the Gateway Arch riverfront at 6 p.m. to celebrate the national legacy of music and marches, and pop and jazz in the natural landscape of an urban national park. This event is sponsored by the Gateway Arch Park Foundation and celebrates the 70^th anniversary of the Air Force.

Parking: A list of several downtown St. Louis parking locations within walking distance of the Old Courthouse and the Gateway Arch is available at http://getaroundstl.com. Metered street parking is also available in Downtown St. Louis. Visitors are encouraged to check www.gatewayarch.com/directions for up-to-date information on road detours and construction before their visit.

For more information: Visit www.gatewayarch.com, www.nps.gov/jeff, or call 877-982-1410. For more information about the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, visit stlouis-mo.gov/sustainability or email Catherine Werner at wernerc@stlouis-mo.gov.