Trash Tracker

Trash Tracker 2024 schedule is up!

 

 

The Original Volunteer Vacation

Since 1989, the Trash Tracker program has been a co-operative effort between the National Park Service (NPS) and Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas (Aramark) to clean up the 1,960 miles of Lake Powell's shoreline.

Participants in the program are members of the NPS Volunteer-In-Parks (VIP) Program and spend 5 days aboard a houseboat that is owned and operated by Aramark. Volunteers for the Trash Tracker program clean up trash along the shoreline. The Trash Tracker's destination changes on each trip.

 

The "Trash Tracker" houseboat.

 

A Bit of History

• 1989: Steve Ward, native son of Page AZ, founded program as a reaction to the lake level dropping for the first time and exposing large amounts of trash

  • He approached NPS with the idea of working with his employer, Del Webb (Now Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas)

  • Concessioner provided boats, NPS provided volunteers

  • He thought program would be obsolete after five years

  • “After I retire I’m sure I’ll look back at the Trash Tracker Program as my biggest contribution to Lake Powell. After all, it’s my back yard. I’ve got to do all I can to keep it clean.”

• 1993: returnee volunteers Bruce George and Pat Origas are married on board the Trash Tracker houseboat. They continued to volunteer and eventually became captains.

• 2004: Trash Tracker program receives Take Pride In America volunteer program award

• 2016: Salt Lake City magazine’s best of awards: Voluntourism

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How Has The Program Helped?

The Trash Tracker is used in conjunction with Glen Canyon National Recreation Area's Water Quality Program to keep Lake Powell pure. In past years, canyons and beaches have closed due to excessive human waste, but now Lake Powell can be considered one of the cleanest lakes on the country.

 

Trash Tracker Benefits

Data collection may not have been perfect in the early days of the Trash Tracker program, but here is a collection of the number of volunteers, the amount of shoreline they cleaned, and the pounds of trash picked up since we started keeping those records.

This table shows the pounds of trash picked up over the years Trash tracker has been in service

Year	Pounds of trash	bags of trash	volunteers	hours donated	miles of shoreline cleaned

Download This Dataset

 

Volunteer Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years of age

• Be willing to work 8 hours a day
• provide your own travel to Glen Canyon and meals for the duration of your trip

Work will be performed under the direct supervision of the Trash Tracker pilot or his/her designated representative. Project work will be performed during daylight hours, in an outdoor setting, and volunteers should expect to be exposed to rugged, rocky terrain and extreme weather conditions. Work will involve picking up, transporting, and unloading trash, debris, and waste collected from the Lake Powell shoreline.

The Trash Tracker Program is a high visibility project and those associated with the program must present a professional image at all times. Volunteers will, in the course of their work, have a great opportunity to enhance the experience of numerous visitors here at Lake Powell.

Qualifications

All volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and willing to perform basic clean-up functions. Volunteers must be in good health and able to do bending, lifting, and walking for extended periods in temperatures reaching the 100's during the summer months. Due to close living conditions aboard the houseboat, volunteer must be adaptable, flexible, and respectful of others.

Limitations

Although the assigned location may be near developed park areas, volunteers should be prepared to have only basic amenities available for the entire trip. The park and Lake Powell Resorts will provide certain items. All volunteers must provide food and other personal items not on this list. The Trash Tracker Pilot, according to the work schedule, will coordinate leisure time.

Time Commitment

Volunteers will be asked to commit to working a minimum of 6-7 hours per day removing trash, debris and waste from the shoreline of Lake Powell.Crew members bring their enthusiasm and gear. They also bring their own breakfast and lunch food and provide one dinner for all crew members one night of the trip. If you plan on applying, please read the Equipment List page. Participants receive a Trash Tracker t-shirt, a magnificent experience on Lake Powell and the personal satisfaction of taking care of the park.

 

Apply for a Trip

Trips are limited to 4 volunteers and are booked on a first come first come served basis. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. This is a very popular program and trips fill quickly. The more flexible you are, the more likely it is that we will be able to place you. Please refer to the trip calendar below for exact dates.

In order to be booked with your friends, please indicate the names of others in your group and your preffered trip to Trash Tracker Questions. If this link does not work, please send your email to glca_trackergrit (at) nps . gov with the subject "Trash Tracker Questions"

 

Trip Schedule

For 2024, Trash Tracker trips will depart from Wahweap in spring and fall, from Bullfrog in summer. Trips are subject to change and/or cancellation. Applications will be accepted beginning Feb 1, 2024 at 7:00am MST.

TRIPS HIGHLIGHTED ORANGE ARE FULL

TRIPS HIGHLIGHTED RED ARE CANCELED

Trash Tracker 2024 - Trip Schedule
Dates	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31
March							CANCELED							CANCELED							Trip #1 CANCELED							Trip #2 CANCELED
April	#2			Trip #3 CANCELED							WW Trip 4 FULL April 11-15							WW Trip 5 FULL April 18-22							WW Trip 6 FULL April 25-29
May		WW Trip 7 FULL May 2-6							WW Trip 8 FULL May 9-13							WW Trip 9 FULL May 16-20
June						BF Trip 10 FULL June 6-10							BF Trip 11 FULL June 13-17							BF Trip 12 June 20-24
July											BF Trip 13 FULL July 11-15							BF Trip 14 July 18-22 CANCELED							BF Trip 15 July 25-29 Canceled
August	BF Trip 16 FULL Aug 1-5							BF Trip 17 FULL Aug 8-12							BF Trip #18 Aug 15-19							BF Trip 19 FULL Aug 22-26
September					WW Trip 20 FULL Sept 5-9							WW Trip 21 FULL Sept 12-16							WW Trip 22 FULL Sept 19-23							WW Trip 23 FULL Sept 26-30
October			WW Trip 24 FULL Oct 3-7

Wahweap Trips are highlighted YELLOW

Bullfrog Trips are highlighted BLUE.