Keep Arizona Beautiful Returns on Superior’s LOST Trails
October, 2021 Update
On Saturday, October 16th, the Keep Arizona Beautiful clean-up took place with a check-in station at Superior Municipal Airport. Mayor Mila Besich came in support to see the volunteers off. Volunteers arrived around 8am and they prepared to head out with their trash bags and pickers, eager to clean trails with the help of the US Forest Service and representatives from LOST and Local First Arizona.
Volunteers hopped into their trucks and followed the direction of the US Forest Service to ensure all areas had adequate volunteers to clean the area. Clean-up of all 5 sites was completed by 11am at which point volunteers headed back to the check-in station to enjoy a homemade lunch and refreshments provided by the Arizona Trails Association. Volunteers collected over 4 truck beds full of trash and many were excited about more opportunities to get outside and to help clean Arizona’s trails.
Stay tuned for future opportunities to volunteer for Keep Arizona Beautiful partnerships across the state!
Where It All Began:
Keep Arizona Beautiful was established in 1984, leading several volunteer initiatives focusing on sustainability and community involvement. The organization hosted various events and campaigns such as community clean-ups, Adopt-a-Highway, and Environmental Resources Roadshows. Within the last year, Keep Arizona Beautiful merged with Local First Arizona to expand capacity and to continue the important work of keeping our state clean and beautiful.
In late July 2021, Local First Arizona’s Rural Development team held a meeting with the US Forest Service to discuss potential volunteer opportunities to address the devastation of the Telegraph fire in Superior. The Telegraph Fire burned over 180,000 acres in mid-June of that same year. Local First Arizona sought to help the cause by partnering with various organizations doing work in the area. After meeting with the Forest Service, the steering committee evaluated the potential need to replant native seeds in the area to help expedite the restoration of the forest affected by the fire. After meeting with experts regarding vegetation trends after fires, it was determined the best course of action would be to let the forest regenerate and restore naturally without human intervention.
Shortly thereafter, the Forest Service reached back out to LFA to request help in coordinating a different type of clean-up in Superior prior to one of their largest events.
The famous annual Superior Burro Run hosts participants that bring their own burros from across the US to embark on a course varying from 3, 6, or 12 miles across picturesque Superior trails and ending with a celebration on Main Street. Following the aftermath of the pandemic and Telegraph Fires, The Burro Run trail had several pockets of trash concentration that would need to be cleaned prior to the Burro Run.
Local First Arizona moved forward planning a US Forest Service clean-up under our Keep Arizona Beautiful efforts in partnership with the Legend of Superior Trails (LOST), Town of Superior, and Arizona Trail Association. The Forest Service offered to sponsor the event and provide trash bags, pickers, and a check-in station.
