A Busy Creek Season

Thanks to our volunteer cleanup efforts since 2019, there have been 3,105 pounds of trash removed from the watershed. Litter is not only an eye-sore, but it contributes to habitat and water quality degradation.

Over the course of a year, we have educated over 1000 people and recruited over 240 volunteers, totaling 1,080 volunteer hours. We also recruited many volunteers new to our organization and worked with many groups unfamiliar with the issues our watershed and national forest face. We also worked to engage visitors and residents alike by attending Farmers Markets, NAU STEM night, hosting educational hikes, and much more! We also spent the summer regularly monitoring water quality in upper Oak Creek and we analyzed data from previous years.

This work was supported in part from The National Forest Foundation, the City of Sedona, the Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona, and the Sedona Chamber of Commerce. We also partnered with REI Co-Op, Dark Sky Brewery, and the U.S. Forest Service, which allowed our efforts to have a more significant impact on the area that we work. We are so grateful for our supporters and volunteers.

Volunteers patrol Slide Rock State Park during our 4th of July Weekend Cleanup with REI Co-Op and AZ State Parks.
“Honey-buckets” collected off of FR 237 and FR 535. Each summer, campers leave their toilets behind. This is a major health hazard and a threat to water quality. We ask that you pack it in and out!
OCWC Ambassador Emma collects a water quality sample.
OCWC Ambassador Elise collects a water quality sample on a beautiful August day.
Volunteers celebrate the beautiful Red Rock Crossing scenery and a morning full of good work!
A whole trunk full of waste collected at our Red Rock Crossing cleanup!
These volunteers were part of one of our most successful cleanup efforts to date! Over our Pickin’ Up in the Pines event, we removed over 1,300 pounds of trash! A huge thank you to REI Flagstaff, Dark Sky Brewery, and the U.S. Forest Service for making this event so much fun and impactful.
OCWC Ambassadors talk about how long it takes for litter to go away in our arid environment, encouraging Sedona visitors to pack it in and out, always!
Tags: