Operation Clean Stream Kicks Off With Troop Leader Meeting in Sunset Hills!

Operation Clean Stream is one of the biggest and longest-running river clean-ups in the country. With a history spanning over 50 years and an impact proven by the before and after photos, tires collected, tons of trash removed, and miles of waterways and watershed protected and preserved. This clean-up is made possible by a network of volunteers all over the St. Louis region and the Trip Leaders that guide them.

Operation Clean Stream Trip Leaders are dedicated stewards of our watershed and community members who make a difference. On July 14th, The Open Space Council held our first Trip Leader meeting of 2021. The trip leaders and OSC Staff discussed planning, logistics, mapping, and volunteer needs, among other Operation Clean Stream Tasks. Operation Clean Stream will take place the week of August 21st through the 29th, 2021, at various locations throughout the Meramec Watershed.

This year we celebrate 54 years of improving local rivers and open spaces! There are both group and self-guided clean-up options available for those who would like to volunteer. You can sign up and participate anytime between August 21st through the 29th or participate in group clean-ups on August 28th. All volunteers will receive a commemorative Operation Clean Stream 2021 t-shirt for their participation and are welcome to come to one of the various picnics on Saturday, August 28th. 

The overwhelming response from the meeting was that these stewards are glad to be back in some hybrid form after a Covid Clean-Up kept picnics and group gatherings at bay in 2020. Thanks to a generous donation from Chick-Fil-A of Sunset Hills, we were able to provide them with some delicious snacks this year too. They said it was the best food they have ever had at a meeting! Thanks, Chick-Fil-A!

To learn more about Operation Clean Stream, volunteer locations, or self-guided clean-ups, click here or email andrew@openspacestl.org.