TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In the midst of the rocky terrain and picturesque mountain landscape, there's something that everyone notices — litter. As more people hit the trails, more litter appears, from a stray plastic water bottle to a granola bar wrapper.
Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Director Kristy Diaz-Trahan says it's important to pack out the items that you brought with you on the trails.
"That is what keeps our land so beautiful,” she said.
Diaz-Trahan said there is a record number of people using the parks and trails. She said besides picking up a piece of trash periodically, there's a way to contribute to consistent cleaning by adopting a trail or road.
"You apply online and it’s a pretty seemless, paperless process, and you choose a trail and you have to clean it up and beautify it," she said. "We provide all the equipment: gloves, bags, the hand held picker uppers."
She said it's all apart of the Keep Oro Valley Beautiful Initiative, which seeks to bring more people together to keep the area litter-free. Mayor Joe Winfield said it's important to keep the area clean not only for hikers but for the environment.
"It’s kind of a constant process so the Keep Oro Valley Beautiful is just another tool to promote and provide residents with an opportunity to clean our roadways and trails," he said.
If you're interested in adopting a trail, road or creating a one-time volunteer cleanup event, you can register here.
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