Extensive Parkwide Clean-Up Event to Occur September 22 - 27

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. This year’s Facelift event will honor Yosemite National Park’s 125th Anniversary with special service projects and interactive anniversary-themed activities.

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. The event starts on Tuesday evening, September 22, with the Reel Rock 10 film showing beginning at 7:00 p.m. Trash pick-up volunteer days will start on Wednesday, September 23 and continue through Sunday, September 27, 2015.

Last year, over 1,600 Yosemite Facelift volunteers collected almost 14,000 pounds of trash and debris and completed many service projects throughout the park. Volunteers worked 12,000 hours throughout the event and throughout the 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 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 23rd through Sunday, September 27th. A second check-in station will be located at the Tuolumne Meadows campground office on Wednesday, September 23 through Saturday, September 26. The Tuolumne Meadows booth will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 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.

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, September 26, the park will celebrate National Public Lands Day. In order to celebrate this special day and the Facelift events, the park will waive entrance fees. 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 4:00 p.m. in front of the Valley Visitor Center on Saturday, September 26.