Join us for our 9th annual National Public Lands Day Lower Salt River Land & Water Cleanup on Saturday, September 28th!
We're teaming up with the U.S. Forest Service Tonto National Forest & NEEF to celebrate the nation's largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands! This is also the 31st anniversary of National Public Lands Day!
Click this link for event registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1004604377737?aff=oddtdtcreator
Everyone is welcome, including youth volunteers when they are 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 for youth volunteers.
Sign-in: 7:30-8:00 a.m. | Safety Briefing: 8 a.m. | Cleanup starts: after safety briefing
End time: 11:00 a.m. We will wrap up with a free volunteer raffle, volunteers will receive a raffle ticket when they sign-in. Must be present to win.
Each volunteer will receive a coupon at sign-in for one Fee-Free day on participating public lands. The coupon expires on National Public Lands Day 2025 (09/27/25). *While supplies last
Please arrive before 8am so you can park and turn in your paperwork before the safety briefing starts at 8am.
Volunteer Paperwork: We will email you volunteer paperwork a week ahead of time. Please print the form, fill it out, and bring it with you to save time. If you need it sooner, email Nicole at contact@naturalrestorations.org
Event Staging Location: Phon D Sutton Recreation Area, Fort McDowell, Arizona
Directions: Everyone is meeting at Phon D Sutton Recreation Area in the large parking lot for sign-in, safety briefing, and game plan for the morning. When you arrive at Phon D, take the 2nd left into the second section of the first parking lot. Look for our signs and check out the screen shot from Google Maps below.
Once you park, walk over to the shaded picnic area towards the back of the parking lot to turn in your volunteer paperwork at the green Natural Restorations tent. Plan your route ahead of time in case we are in a spot where we can’t get cell signal.
GPS Coordinates: 33.545795, -111.659794
***Do not use the EventBrite map to get there, it could send you to the wrong location. Use the GPS coordinates above to get to the event staging location***
Plug the GPS coordinates above into your phone or mapping system, or search Phon D Sutton Recreation Area, Mesa, Arizona. Plan your route ahead of time in case we cannot take your call.
Once the safety briefing is done, everyone is going to spread out. You can stay at Phon D Sutton or you can go up or down river to another recreation site if you are familiar with the area and have a favorite spot you want to clean or you want to explore a new recreation site.
Volunteers on foot: volunteers can explore the trails and riverbanks at Phon D Sutton or head out to other recreation sites along the river. We do ask that you bring your trash back to the dedicated dumpster at Phon D so we can measure our impact with the dumpster weight.
Volunteers with kayaks & SUP’s: bring your kayak or SUP to help us remove trash that volunteers on foot cannot reach around Phon D or you can head up to Pebble Beach after the safety to float down the river picking up trash if you can back to Phon D by 11am and you have a way to get back up to your vehicle at Pebble Beach. Make sure you bring your Personal Flotation Device (PFD).
You can rent paddle boards from our friends at No Snow Stand Up Paddleboards & Riverbound Sports.
What to wear: Check the forecast before you head out so you can be prepared & dress accordingly. Please wear comfortable clothing & shoes that can get dirty, muddy, and possibly wet if you choose to go in the mud or water. Wear long pants, thick-sole & closed toe sturdy shoes for safety (no flip flops/sandals). Wear a hat, sunglasses for eye protection, and sunscreen.
What to bring: please bring a reusable water bottle or hydration backpack. We will have water coolers full of ice water for you to refill your bottle or pack. If you are floating down the river, you must ensure you bring enough water with you for your entire trip. We will provide gloves, bags, trash grabbers, & the dumpster. You are welcome to bring your own gloves & grabbers if you have them. If you would prefer to use a bucket, you're welcome to bring a bucket for trash but you will need to walk it to the designated dumpster each time it's full and having it in a bag will keep trash from blowing out of the dumpster. Put masking tape with your name & number on any tools you bring.
*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 Lower Salt River so it’s best to prepare for anything.
If you have water shoes, waders, or an old pair of shoes, this would be a great time to use them. If you prefer to stay on dry land, that's totally fine.
Snacks: We will have light snacks for volunteers. If you have any dietary restrictions, you may want to bring your own snack. You could bring a small cooler in your vehicle with cold beverages and snacks if you'd like.
Tonto Recreation Pass: You do NOT need one to participate in the event! If you plan to stay after the event, please purchase a Tonto Recreation Site. There is a kiosk at recreation areas along the river. We will keep you posted if it ends up being a fee-free day in celebration of National Public Lands Day.
Bathrooms: There are vault toilets open to the public at recreation areas along the Lower Salt River.
NR Merch: We will also have Natural Restorations branded t-shirts, hats, stickers, and Tru Flasks available for a donation. Natural Restorations is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Gilbert, Arizona and 100% of the proceeds go towards our Restoration Programs.
Youth Groups: If you need youth registration paperwork ahead of time for parent/guardian signatures, please email Nicole at contact@naturalrestorations.org and we will email them over to you.
Groups: Please have your group leader email Nicole at contact@naturalrestorations.org for a group sign-in sheet to save time the day of the event. The group leader can get everyone in their group signed in then one person can turn the sheets into us at the registration table.
If you have any other questions, please click email me at contact@naturalrestorations.org
No additional volunteer opportunities at this time.
67 S. Higley Road, STE 103-118, Gilbert, AZ 85296, US
Our mission is to remove trash, graffiti from outdoor recreation and wilderness areas, revitalize natural areas through replanting projects, and enrich the lives of military veterans and other community members.
We remove trash, graffiti and anything foreign to the environment from outdoor recreation and wilderness areas throughout the state of Arizona. We replant burn scar areas by salvaging cacti that would otherwise be destroyed on construction sites and we transport them to burn scars where our team replants them. We provide contract work to Military Veterans on our Dedicated Restoration Team and host volunteer events for the community, including youth volunteers.
We have a passion for nature and we believe outdoor restorations and education ensures everyone will be able to enjoy outdoor recreation and wilderness areas. We approach every project with a commitment to long-term change and making lasting impacts in communities across the state.
We have removed over 1.5 million pounds of trash (791+ tons), planted over 53,500 trees, plants & cacti, and removed over 42,451 square feet of graffiti. We have provided over 17,400 hours of contract work to military veterans on our Dedicated Restoration Team. We have hosted over 107 volunteer events and completed over 141 restoration projects with our Dedicated Restoration Team.
Phon D Sutton Recreation AreaGPS Coordinates: 33.545795, -111.659794Mesa, AZ 85264
August 30, 2024
