35th Annual Clean Up Green Up!

By Jo Thompson, Blue Elements AmeriCorps Watershed Steward and Community Engagement and Resource Management Assistant

On May 16, the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA) and the

Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) hosted their 35th annual Clean Up

Green Up event. Volunteers spent their Saturday picking up trash along the Arkansas

River by foot and by boat. According to The Mountain Mail, the effort in Salida almost

filled a 30-yard dumpster with the collected trash.

Central Colorado Conservancy participated in Clean Up Green Up in two ways: hosted

an education booth at Riverside Park in Salida and coordinated a group of volunteers

who picked up trash along Hwy 24 adjacent to the Arkansas River Community

Preserve.

At Riverside Park, we chatted with more than 50 community members and had activities

to encourage kids to think about what they want to protect for the future.

Many thanks to our volunteers, Emily Lord and Dori Denning, who gave their time on a

beautiful Saturday to talk to the community about our work.

The Conservancy is looking for Volunteer Ambassadors to help tell our story at public

events, including the upcoming Salida Farmers Market on June 13, Buena Vista Gold

Rush Days on August 1, and more. Training is provided! To register for one of these

opportunities, please complete this short form.

While the Salida team was at our booth in Riverside Park, I led a crew of Blue Elements AmeriCorps volunteers based in Leadville to pick up trash from two pullouts on Highway 24 north of Buena Vista and adjacent to the Arkansas River Community Preserve.

By the afternoon, we had a truckload plus two vehicles worth of e-waste, tires, car parts,

litter, and more. A huge thank you to our Blue Elements crew: Sheena O’Hara, Sarah

Green, and Calvin Mathews!

We look forward to Clean Up Green Up next spring and hope you’ll join us in being stewards for the Arkansas River and the Central Colorado land we love! We couldn’t do what we do without all of you. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter for updates to stay abreast of our work and events.