Annual CleanUp Week Encourages Community Connection
Groups pick up litter to prep Bozeman for summer during the weeklong event
BOZEMAN, Montana — From April 22-30, the City of Bozeman welcomes individuals and groups to help pick up litter around Bozeman after a long winter. As the snow melts, trash around our neighborhoods becomes visible. Not only do cleanups improve habitat for humans and critters within city limits, but they also directly impact our downstream neighbors by helping to keep our streams and rivers clean.
CleanUp Week will be kicked off at the Gallatin Valley Earth Day festival on April 22 in collaboration with partners across the city.
Sustainability Program Specialist Ali Chipouras says, “This time of year everyone starts to see the litter and dog waste that surfaces after the snow melts. CleanUp Week is a great opportunity to work together to build community, keep our waterways clean, and give Bozeman a spring cleaning.”
CleanUp kits will be provided and include gloves, vests, yellow bags, and instructions. Interested community members may opt for delivery of cleanup kits to groups or organizations ahead of CleanUp Week, or can pick up kits at the Gallatin Valley Earth Day Festival at the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture on Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Along with the CleanUp Kits, participants of CleanUp Week will also be given a choice to pick a location or provided ideas for a clean-up location. Participants are welcome to clean up areas any time from April 22-30 and City of Bozeman Solid Waste will take care of the yellow bags left behind.
The City of Bozeman has coordinated this event locally for 35 years and successfully mobilizes hundreds of volunteers of all ages from community organizations, local businesses, and government agencies each year. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up online at www.bozeman.net/cleanup.
In addition to Bozeman CleanUp Week and the Earth Day Festival on April 22, Gallatin Valley Earth Day is hosting events throughout the month of April including in-person and online speakers, a fun run, animal tracking and communication workshops, and more. To learn more visit www.gallatinvalleyearthday.org.
All are invited to join in cleaning up Bozeman. This activity is free and open to the public. Kits will be available for pick-up on April 22 regardless of the weather. For more information, visit www.bozeman.net/cleanup.
