GALLATIN RIVER TASK FORCE
The Gallatin River Task Force will host the Annual Upper Gallatin River Cleanup Thursday, Aug. 31, at 2 p.m.
Volunteers will meet at the Big Sky Community Park River Pavilion for cleanup assignments, disperse to river access sites throughout the Upper Gallatin, and pick up trash. Groups will return with their trash to the Community Park around 5 p.m. for a free barbecue and beer courtesy of Lone Peak Brewery.
GRTF is seeking volunteer leaders to commit in advance to attending the river cleanup. Leaders will be responsible for recruiting teams of four to six people to focus on high-traffic river access points. Volunteers can choose their favorite river access point, and will be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis.
GRTF has organized a river cleanup for the past five years, and has seen a steady increase in participation over time. Last year, 35 volunteers picked up trash at river access sites in the Gallatin corridor from the Yellowstone National Park boundary to the mouth of the Gallatin Canyon, as well as along streams in the Big Sky area.
“The 2017 river cleanup will be bigger and better than ever with great prizes and new volunteer opportunities,” said GRTF director Kristin Gardner. The individual who collects the most unique item of trash will win an RTIC cooler donated by the RMR Group, and the team that collects the most garbage will be awarded GRTF hats.
For more information about the GRTF river cleanup, or to volunteer, contact Stephanie Lynn by email at stephanie@gallatinrivertaskforce.org or by phone at (406) 993-2519.
