Friends of the Middle River will hold its annual trash cleanup of the River likely between August 16-22, 2021.

Volunteers pickup trash by walking in the River pulling a canoe behind them which acts as a barge for the trash collected. A team consists of between 2 to 10 persons per team who clean a mile or two of the River. Other volunteers sometimes act as land crews and help unload, sort and inventory the trash. Then the trash is transferred to a dumpster. We typically utilize about 100 volunteers.

We’ll have different teams at different times on different sections of river. HMN members could form their own team, or people can volunteer as individuals and be put onto a team that fits your availability.

You can read more more about our cleanups here: https://www.friendsofthemiddleriver.org/cleanups

Volunteers do not have to be members of Friends of the Middle River. To get involved, email Kate to be contacted shortly after July 7 when we start to organize volunteers into teams.

Send your email to fomr.guenther [at] gmail.com and

1) Put “River Cleanup” in the subject line
2) If you want to join as a member to FOMR, you can do that on our webpage, http://www.friendsofhemiddleriver.org. Otherwise, we will NOT assume you want to become an FOMR member, just that you are interested in this one volunteer opportunity.
3) Please give us the email address you want to be contacted on and a phone number.

Cleanups are messy, sweaty and very satisfying volunteer opportunities. Volunteers should be able to walk unassisted on uneven rocks and muddy river bottoms in water that is up to thigh deep.

Thank you for considering!

– Kate Guenther, Cohort I
Watershed Administrator, Friends of the Middle River

Photo at top shows HMN Ginny Hoffman, Cohort III, at a river cleanup in 2019. Photo courtesy of Friends of the Middle River.