October 7, 2023 – Yosemite National Park officials report on this year’s 20th anniversary Facelift clean-up in the park.
We have been reeling from the massive turnout of dedicated volunteers at this year's Facelift. The event's 20th anniversary was celebrated accordingly with a whopping 10,432 pounds of trash collected, sorted, and disposed of. We saw 1,426 volunteers dedicate 12,138 hours of work over the course of the event.
While the focus of the event was on trash collection by volunteers, there were other special projects that volunteers participated in. 2,211.7 grams of seed were collected over 3 days from Yosemite Valley meadows (as part of our seed banking program), 45 food lockers were installed in Tamarack campground, designated climbing trails were restored and maintained, and native deergrass and milkweed were planted in the meadows. All volunteers received an educational talk about the difference between trash and archeological artifacts.
The event stayed true to its foundation in the climbing community and guest speakers, forums, and book signings celebrated the unique recreational opportunities Yosemite provides.
A huge thanks to all Facelift volunteers, organizers, collaborators, and sponsors. Participants left feeling accomplished, informed, and inspired to protect this park and their local natural spaces every day of the year.
Source & photo: YNP
