Get Involved
Friends of the Verde River, Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Oak Creek Watershed Council, River Network, Prescott National Forest, Coconino National Forest, Prescott Creeks, and the Town of Camp Verde have all partnered to coordinate and host a river stewardship volunteer day for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The Verde River and its tributaries are a major resource for the communities of the Verde Valley and it is important that we work to protect this resource.
Come join a wonderful community of river stewards committed to a healthy Verde River at one of our sites or on your own! There are five locations where we will be doing work or you can select your own site! Learn more and register at the link.
Choose a location near you to help out, or you can organize a trash clean-up on your own.
- Camp Verde: Clear Creek Fishing Site
- Chino Valley: Munds Draw
- Cottonwood: Dead Horse Ranch State Park
- Prescott: Watson Woods Riparian Preserve
- Sedona: Arizona Cypress Trailhead
- Sedona: Crescent Moon Picnic Site
- Select Your Own Site: Community Clean-up Wherever You Are
Camp Verde: Clear Creek Fishing Site
Volunteers will assist with habitat restoration work including willow pole planting and clean up at the popular river access point on the Prescott National Forest. This site requires brief roadside walking and off trail hiking in steep and likely slippery conditions. If you have young children or are inexperienced with hiking in these conditions, we recommend you select another site. Friends of the Verde River and the Prescott National Forest have partnered to coordinate and host a river stewardship volunteer day for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Location: Clear Creek River Access Point
Partners: Prescott National Forest, Town of Camp Verde, River Network, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Capacity: 25 volunteers – 2 spots left!
Chino Valley: Munds Draw
Volunteers will do gully restoration work involving moving rock and juniper by hand, with some assistance from UTVs and trailers. This works plays a vital role in watershed stabilization in one of Prescott National Forest’s top-priority watersheds. To reach the site, a high-clearance vehicle is required, and we’ll be carpooling from the Safeway parking lot in Chino Valley or from parking in Jerome. It’s essential for you to arrive promptly and be prepared with long sleeves, long pants, eye protection, sturdy work boots, lunch, snacks, and an ample supply of water. Friends of the Verde River and Prescott National Forest have partnered to coordinate and host this volunteer opportunity for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Location: Munds Draw – meet at Chino Valley Safeway or in Jerome, approximately 1 hour drive on dirt roads from there
Partner: Prescott National Forest
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Capacity: unlimited volunteers
Cottonwood: Dead Horse Ranch State Park
Volunteers will be working on invasive plant removal and/or trail maintenance in Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood. Dead Horse Ranch State Park, has partnered to coordinate and host a river stewardship volunteer day for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The Verde River and its tributaries are a major resource for the communities of the Verde Valley and it is important that we work to protect this resource.
Location: Dead Horse Ranch State Park
Partner: Arizona State Parks & Trails
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Capacity: 30 volunteers – 4 spots left!
Prescott: Watson Woods Riparian Preserve
Volunteers will assist with manual invasive species removal throughout the Preserve. Special focus will be on removal of tamarisk regrowth from previous treatments. This project requires off-trail hiking through dense grasses and riparian brush. Depending upon precipitation prior to the event, conditions may be wet and muddy. Volunteers with young children or who are inexperienced with hiking in these conditions may prefer a different project. Once a sand and gravel pit, the 160 acres of unique cottonwood/willow gallery forest that make up Watson Woods along Granite Creek are being protected and restored by community members and visitors. Friends of the Verde River and the Prescott Creeks Preservation Association (Prescott Creeks) have partnered to coordinate a volunteer event at Watson Woods Riparian Preserve for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Location: Watson Woods Riparian Preserve – Rosser Street Entrance (1795 N. State Route 89, Prescott, AZ 86301)
Partner: Prescott Creeks Preservation Association
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Capacity: 25 volunteers – 7 spots left!
Sedona: Arizona Cypress Trailhead
Volunteers will clean up litter at a popular recreation site in Sedona. This litter eventually makes its way to our waterways and by cleaning it up we protect the vital habitats that these areas provide. Friends of the Verde River and the Oak Creek Watershed Council have partnered to coordinate and host a volunteer opportunity for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Location: Arizona Cypress Trailhead off of Boynton Pass Rd on FS 9589B near Sedona
Partners: Oak Creek Watershed Council, Coconino National Forest
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Capacity: 20 volunteers – 5 spots left!
Sedona: Crescent Moon Picnic Site
Volunteers will work to remove invasive species adjacent to the community garden. The invasive plants of focus will be Himalayan blackberry and tree of heaven. These plants do have thorns so please wear long sleeves and thick gloves. Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about the land management concerns in the riparian area of Oak Creek from specialists who work on these issues. Friends of the Verde River and Coconino National Forest have partnered to coordinate and host the volunteer opportunity for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Location: Crescent Moon Ranch Picnic Area
Partner: Coconino National Forest
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Capacity: 20 volunteers – 13 spots left!
Select Your Own Site: Community Clean-up
Friends of the Verde River has teamed up with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to encourage people like you to clean up the river and the places near and dear to your heart! In addition to cleaning up the area, the data you collect will be used to inform land managers about litter issues in the Verde Watershed so they can make appropriate planning decisions!
Print or save this form to collect data for Arizona Water Watch about the site where you clean up trash. Once you are able to, please visit this website to enter the data you collected on your clean up. Please include “Purdy Verde” in your group name.
Here is a short video lesson going over how to collect your data in the field and enter it into the Arizona Water Watch Database.
What to Do
- Pick your favorite spots to pick up trash. Need ideas for where to go? Check out this map.
- Safely pick up as much trash as possible!
- Share photos and/or videos by email, or post them to social media using the hashtag #PurdyVerde.
- Keep track of the approximate weight of your trash haul, and how many hours you volunteered. The average full trash bag weighs ~15 lbs.
- Be sure to have a plan for transporting the trash you collect.
- Bring supplies that will keep you safe and hydrated.
- Wear gloves, supervise children, wash your hands often, and have fun!
- Fill out appropriate forms. Print out this form to use while you are on-site. Use that information to fill out this form to log your information online.
What to Bring
- Gloves
- Trash bags
- Trash picker
- Water and snack
- Tarp/straps (optional to secure trash in a truck bed)
- Hand sanitizer
- Printed Data Collection Form
What to Do with the Trash
The best option is to take it with you and dispose of it in your own household trash, as public trash bins can get pretty full. For oversized items that you cannot take, it would be helpful to leave them by bins, photograph them, and share photographs with Friends of the Verde River, or the land managers at your location.
Event Details
- Jan 15, 2024 - Jan 15, 2024
- RSVP
Event Sponsors
More Events
See you back at Dead Horse Ranch State Park for the 2025 Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival!
MLK Day of Service, January 20, 2025 volunteers work on projects in the Verde Valley including invasive species removal, gully restoration and trash clean-ups.
Join us for Fiesta de la Garza on December 5, 2024, a night of awards, auctions, and celebration, as we honor the dedication of our community members and partners supporting the mission of Friends of the Verde River.
