Volunteer River Cleanup at Mammoth Cave National Park

News Release Date:
September 4, 2024

Contact:Molly Schroer, 270-758-2192

MAMMOTH CAVE, KY.- Mammoth Cave National Park will host a river cleanup event for volunteers on Sat., September 14 at 7:30 a.m. CDT. The event is being held in honor of the 9/11 National Day of Service. Participants will collect and remove litter along a section of the Green and Nolin Rivers National Water Trail to improve water quality, restore natural beauty, and reduce potential threats to human health and wildlife along the river. Participants must register in advance through Volunteer.gov.
"In the days and months after the "9/11" attacks in 2001, people rallied to service in many ways," said Superintendent Barclay Trimble. "We are proud to honor the spirit of the sacrifices made that day and the sacrifices that continue to be made by uniting for this public service project to clean up our park's riverway."
The cleanup event will offer two separate trips for volunteers. There will be an option of cleaning the Dennison Ferry to the Green River Ferry section, an 8 mile stretch of river that will take approximately 4-5 hours to complete. A second option involves cleaning the Green River Ferry to Houchin Ferry segment that runs for 12 miles and is expected to take approximately 7-8 hours to complete. Prior experience with canoeing and/or kayaking is required to participate in this event.
A limited number of canoes and kayaks and personal floatation devices (PFDs) will be provided by donations to the Friends of Mammoth Cave National Park (Friends) from Caveland Kayak and Canoe, Green River Canoeing, and Mammoth Cave Adventures. The livery services will also provide shuttle service to and from the take-out locations for event participants. There is an option for volunteers to use their own canoes or kayaks if they wish.
Volunteers will meet in the Green River Ferry parking area on the south side of the river at 7:30 a.m. to check-in and receive orientation and a safety briefing. Participants should bring water, snacks, sunscreen, sun hat, sunglasses, and insect repellant. The park will supply the trash grabbers and bags to help collect the litter along the riverbanks.
While volunteers of all ages are welcome, participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event. Anyone under the age of 18 cannot sign up for the cleanup through Volunteer.gov but must register though a parent or legal guardian via email to [email protected].
A limited number of event t-shirts, sack lunches, and recognition items will be available by the Friends to the first several participants that register at Volunteer.gov. The Friends work in cooperation with the National Park Service to support projects and programs that protect, preserve, and enhance the natural and cultural resources, and the visitor experience at Mammoth Cave National Park.
For a full details and to register for this volunteer opportunity, visit Volunteer.gov. For all other event questions, please contact [email protected] or call 270-758-2158.

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