01/04/20 Base & Meridian Wildlife Area Gila River Cleanup

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Join Natural Restorations, REI, and Arizona Game & Fish Department for our 2nd Annual Base & Meridian Wildlife Area Winter Cleanup along the Gila River on Saturday, January 4th from 9 AM to 12 PM. We are also teaming up the City of Avondale, City of Goodyear and Flood Control for this event and future events in the area as we work towards a long-term solution to revitalize this beautiful area and keep it free from trash so it can become a premier outdoor recreation destination in the West Valley.⠀

Base & Meridian Wildlife Area Land & Water Cleanup - Saturday, January 4th, 9 AM to 12 PM

Sign-in: 8:20-9:00 a.m. | Safety Briefing: 9 a.m. | Cleanup starts: after safety briefing

Saturday, January 4, 2020 9AM to 12PM

Sign-in: 8:15-9:00 a.m. | Safety Briefing: approx. 9 a.m. | Cleanup starts: after safety briefing

Land Cleanup: There is plenty for volunteers to do on dry land.

Water Cleanup: We have some fun opportunities for volunteers who want to help us get trash out of the water. Our friends at REI Adventure Center Arizonaare bringing out 10 tandem kayaks for 20 volunteers who want to help remove trash from the water. If you would like to reserve a spot in a tandem or single kayak, please let us know right away, space is limited!

If you have your own kayak or canoe, we can use your help, too. We can also use help from volunteers with waders or rubber boots to remove cans and clothing in ankle to calf deep water. Consider bringing a change of socks and shoes to change into when you’re done.

What to wear: Check the forecast & dress accordingly. Please wear clothing and shoes that can get dirty, possibly wet and muddy. Wear long pants, thick-sole & closed toe sturdy shoes, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. It will likely be chilly in the early morning and warming up mid-morning. We recommend wearing layers you can easily remove as you start to warm up. Please no flip flops or sandals.

What to bring: Please bring a pair of work gloves to protect your hands and if you have them, trash grabbers and 5-gallon buckets are helpful. If you don’t have gloves or grabbers, we will have some you can borrow. We will also provide trash bags.

*If you have any allergies that you carry an epi-pen and antihistamines for, please do not forget to bring them with you. This is a wilderness area along the Gila River so it’s best to prepare for anything.

*Youth volunteers - please bring gloves that fit smaller hands. The majority of our gloves are adult sizes. If you know a company that would like to donate youth gloves, please ask them to contact us!

Water: Please help us reduce our use of single-use plastics and bring a refillable water bottle or hydration backpack. We will have water coolers full of ice water for you to refill your bottles and hydration backpacks.

Snacks: We will have snacks for volunteers. If you have any dietary restrictions, you may want to bring your own snacks. Raising Cane’s is also bringing chicken fingers and dipping sauce out for volunteers.

Bathrooms: We are trying to get a portable bathroom & wash station donated, stay tuned.

Youth Volunteers: This is a great opportunity for youth! Anyone under 18 years old must be accompanied & supervised by a parent, guardian, or adult group leader. We would be happy to sign off on service hours or provide a Confirmation of Volunteer Service letter. If you would like the forms ahead of time to save time on the 4th, please let me know and I’ll send them over.

Site Leaders: If you offered to be a site leader, we will be in touch as we get closer to 01/04 to let you know if we need additional help. If you would like to arrive a little early and help me with volunteer registration, please let me know.

Volunteer Raffle: You will receive a raffle ticket when you sign-in. We will wrap up the morning with a raffle at 12:00 p.m. in the same area where you sign in. We’ve got some great items including prizes a Tru Temp Cooler from Tru Flask, an REI tent, REI camp chairs, Manatee Bags, Tru Flask bottles & tumblers, & Natural Restorations t-shirts! *Must be present to win.

Directions: When you register, Natural Restorations will send you information on where to park.

Clickable Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/AnCGuvEBfWH2

Tres Rios Base & Meridian Wildlife Area: S Avondale Blvd, Tolleson, AZ 85353

Please use the link above to plan your route because we may not have full cell signal on-site to help you with directions the morning of the event.

Register: please register through Natural Restorations at http://www.naturalrestorations.org/volunteer-registration

Here’s a link to our events calendar: http://www.naturalrestorations.org/new-events-1/