June 22, 2026

160 Volunteers Clean Up Over 1 Ton of Riverfront Waste

In July 2025, Gateway Arch National Park and Gateway Arch Park Foundation teamed up to host a riverfront clean-up event to protect and preserve our riverfront through removing waste from the Mississippi River. Volunteers from across the region showed up for our community, collecting nearly 200 pounds of debris along the waterway, including 58 pounds of recyclable materials.

In celebration of National Public Lands Day in September 2025, the Foundation partnered once again with the Park to welcome volunteers back to the riverfront for another annual clean-up. This effort removed 125 bags of waste, totaling 1,859 pounds, including nearly 200 pounds of recyclables, like metals, aluminum, and glass.

Together, these initiatives mobilized 160 volunteers who contributed 465 hours to protect and preserve the riverfront.

Conservation Volunteer Position Continues to Help the Park Thrive

Through the co-managed volunteer program between Gateway Arch National Park and Gateway Arch Park Foundation, we continued to support the Ecological Monitor volunteer position. These volunteers help document the Park’s wildlife by photographing creatures they encounter within the Park’s boundaries and uploading the images to iNaturalist, a smartphone app that aids in species identification and tracking. This data provides valuable insight for both National Park Service staff and the public, helping to better understand the biodiversity within our urban national park.

Volunteer Days of Service Help on the Park Grounds

Also through our co-managed volunteer program with the Park, we offer days of service for individuals interested in assisting the National Park Service grounds team with projects like weeding, planting grass plugs, and more. In 2025, 161 individual volunteers contributed 902 hours of work in the Park. We also had 16 groups of volunteers—including corporate, community, and drop-in groups—that contributed 446 hours.