volunteers

Volunteers gathered at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma to take part in a cleanup effort marking Public Lands Day, an annual event encouraging Americans to give back to public lands. The event brought community members together to remove litter and help maintain the refuge, which is home to bison, elk and other wildlife. Local news covered the effort as part of the nationwide observance.

Volunteers in Washington, DC took part in Ocean Conservancy's 2026 International Coastal Cleanup along the Anacostia River, joining a global effort to remove trash from waterways and shorelines. The annual event draws participants worldwide to collect and log litter, raising awareness of plastic pollution and its impact on rivers, oceans and wildlife.