Written by Nancy Stone
On May 20th, we held a clean-up at Rocky Point partnering with SOLVE. Thanks to the more than 35 people that showed up, Rocky Point has never looked so good! Folks in three different crews focused on cleaning up various areas of the greater Rocky Point area.
Group A, our early morning crew, rolled up their sleeves and tackled the eyesore that was at the top of the family riding area and bottom of the Tres Amigos trail. This group not only picked up all of the trash that had been dumped there long before NWTA signed the lease with Weyerhaeuser but pulled at least 20 old tires out of the woods and clear-cut.
Group B cleaned up the parking lot area while our mid-morning team cleaned up the parking lot area; a smaller sub-group was busy clearing out the abandoned camp near the shuttle gate. This group also worked their way around the top of the Skeet Chute trail to pull out, among other oddities, a whole toilet, shopping cart, and car bumper.
Our third group (C) came as a result of a partnership with SOLVE. This group started at the Rocky Point Trailhead and made their way up Rocky Point Rd cleaning litter from the roadside up to Skyline Blvd. This resulted in multiple bags of garbage, more tires, and even a couch being pulled off the side of the road. This effort links the work done earlier in the Spring with our Earth Day Cleanup that resulted in the trash pick-up of the bottom half of Rocky Point Rd.
We filled a 20-yard drop box provided by Multnomah County DropBox to the brim with trash recovered from the forest and roadside when all was said and done. A special thanks to the fine folks at Lolo Racks for volunteering to haul away and dispose of the mountain of tires. This event was made possible by a motivated group of volunteers who showed up ready to get the job done and did so with smiles on their faces. As if a cleaner world isn’t happy ending enough, we can rest easy knowing that the lonely shopping cart was reunited with its friends in the Fred Meyer cart return.
Being good stewards of our trails and our planet isn’t just a choice; it’s an obligation. If we want to see positive change in the world we live in, we need to actively be that change. We here at NWTA believe we share this philosophy with our members and encourage everyone to step up to stewardship, now more than ever.
Read here to learn more about Rocky Point. To get involved and help the Local Stewardship Team that maintains the trails; please head to our trail team page here. *** The NWTA Rocky Point Recreation Area is a leased property. NWTA members in good standing, have signed the online Rocky Point Waiver, have access to the area. To Become an NWTA member, head here: JOIN US!***