Who can participate?

We welcome anyone and everyone. Please fill out an Acknowledgement of Risk upon signing up (forms are valid for one calendar year January-December). Children are required to be with a guardian for safety reasons.

Where do we dump our collected trash/recycling?

Team leaders collect the trash and bring it to the dumpster donated by Republic Services at the volunteer celebration. Republic Services then weighs the collected trash and ultimately disposes of it at the Logan Landfill.

Do I need to separate trash and recycling?

No. Due to the dirty condition of most collected items, they can not be recycled. Therefore, we dispose of all collected items as trash. You are welcome to separate clean recyclables and dispose of them yourself, but we will not have an area for collected recyclables at the volunteer celebration.

What safety information do I need to know?

• Please fill out an Acknowledgement of Risk before volunteering (forms are valid for one calendar year, January-December).

• Volunteers are required to wear gloves (both for health and protection) at all times.

  • Do not handle hazardous materials, including drums or containers that may contain toxic waste, needles, other biohazard waste, and live ammunition or explosives. Please watch for broken glass, aerosol cans, gas cans, and other containers with chemical residues or traces of volatile materials and handle with care. Sharp objects should be put in hard plastic containers.

• Kids should be supervised at all times.

• Please be mindful of homeless encampments. Necessary survival equipment is not trash.

What should I bring to the cleanup?

• Protective gloves. We will provide rubber gloves, but if you have a pair of work gloves that you prefer to wear, feel free to bring them!

• Sunscreen and insect repellent

• Snacks and water

• Your team leader will provide additional safety information, hand sanitizer, trash bags, a small first aid kit, stickers, and general stoke

What should I wear?

Arrive prepared to handle garbage, walk along stream banks, and wade in the river (depending on your site). We recommend that you wear high-visibility clothing or a reflective vest, closed-toed shoes or wading shoes, and long pants that you don’t mind getting wet and/or dirty.

How can I win great prizes?

Attend the volunteer celebration after the cleanup! The volunteer who finds the strangest thing will win a raffle prize. Additionally, all volunteers at the celebration will receive a raffle ticket for entry into raffles with prizes donated by local businesses. If you are interested in donating a prize or becoming an event sponsor, please email holly@gallatinwatershedcouncil.org.

How can I promote this event?

Help us spread the word about our cleanup and the importance of a healthy watershed! If you post about this event on your social media, tag @gallatinwatershedcouncil.