All The Way To The Border

by Reta Rutledge, VP, Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (AZ)

Fourteen dedicated volunteers helped remove litter from six miles of highway that run through Buenos Aires NWR on Saturday, January 27. We were doing our part in a much bigger event. The project is called “All the Way to the Border “and was started nine years ago by Rancho Sierra Vista. It is sponsored by Trico Electric Cooperative and the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, among others. Each year, the goal is to clean Arizona Highway 286 from Three Points to the International Border with Mexico for a total of 44 miles.

At the refuge, pairs of volunteers were each assigned a one mile stretch of the highway. Safety vests, rubber gloves, bags, grabbers, water, and instructions were provided. Volunteers parked at the start of their one mile, walked a mile facing traffic and collecting trash, and then crossed the road and continued picking up trash as they walked back to their car. Full bags were left tied at the side of the road for the Arizona Department of Transportation to collect.

Approximately 33 volunteer-hours resulted in 20 bags of litter. Two additional refuge volunteers staffed an education table at Three Points, where the rest of the clean-up volunteers were, and answered questions about the refuge. By late morning, the winds picked up, making managing the collection bags somewhat challenging, but everyone kept on and agreed it was a fun event and very beneficial for wildlife living on the refuge.