YOSEMITE – Yosemite National Park and the Yosemite Climbing Association invite the public to participate in the Facelift, an annual event held to clean up trash and debris from around the park after the busy summer season.
The event starts on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and continues through Sunday, Sept. 28. Trash pick-up volunteer days will start on Wednesday, Sept. 24.
Volunteers are needed to help pick up litter at various locations in the park, including roadways, in the river corridor, on trails, near climbing routes, and in parking, camping, and lodging areas.
Last year, over 1,600 Yosemite Facelift volunteers collected more than 22,000 pounds of trash and debris. Over 80 percent by weight of the trash collected was recycled. Volunteers worked 9,800 hours throughout the event and throughout the entire park to clear debris and trash from heavily visited areas and along park roads.
Interested volunteers can sign up at the booth in front of the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 28.
A second check-in station will be located at the Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center on Thursday, Sept. 25 through Saturday, Sept. 27. The Tuolumne Meadows booth will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
On Sunday, Sept. 28, there will also be a registration booth in Wawona at the Wawona Store parking lot, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Crew leaders will be at the booths to organize work groups and hand out trash bags, gloves, and litter sticks. Trash must be returned to the booths each day by the registration area’s closing time to be weighed and sorted. All volunteers must register prior to participating in the event.
For more information and a complete schedule of events, please contact Ken Yager at yageryca@gmail.com or visit the Yosemite Climbing Association website at www.facebook.com/pages/Yosemite-Facelift/120770414636649. Individuals who are unable to participate during the cleanup, but would still like to help, may make a tax deductible donation to help pay for costs associated with the cleanup effort. Donations can be made to the Yosemite Climbing Association at P.O. Box 89 Yosemite, California 95389.
On Saturday, Sept. 27, the park will celebrate National Public Lands Day. In order to help celebrate this special day and the Facelift events, the park will waive entrance fees for Saturday, Sept. 27. The fee waiver includes entrance fees on Saturday only and is not associated with camping fees.
Additionally, there will be a Yosemite Volunteer Awards Ceremony at 4 p.m. in front of the Valley Visitor Center on Saturday, Sept. 27.
