A public litter cleanup day at Red River Gorge is scheduled for September 23rd in honor of the 30th anniversary of National Public Lands Day. It’s hosted by the Daniel Boone National Forest, which the gorge is a part of.
“People love the gorge, so we're going to try to give it some love back,” Volunteer and Service Program Coordinator Blair Ripley said. “And essentially, the idea is to bring the full bags of trash back to Gladie Visitor Center before 5 p.m. on the 23rd.”
Supplies will be readily available at 9 a.m. at the Slade Welcome Center and 10 a.m. at the Gladie Visitor Center to make it as easy as possible for any visiting volunteers. Bagged trash can be returned at the Gladie center for disposal.
Ripley says these clean-up days help promote the idea of shared stewardship, or getting multiple groups and organizations to take part in caring for the land.
"It's how you get people to really care about this sort of thing, Ripley said. “It’s getting them out, boots on the ground, on the land and seeing that you can have a great time volunteering and being responsible stewards of the land."
The park will waive fees for visitors at recreation areas through the day, along with some overnight camping sites. The list of areas that applies to is available on their website.
