On Sept. 24, our volunteer program, co-managed with the National Park Service, welcomed 54 volunteers who helped clean up the St. Louis Riverfront for National Public Lands Day.

Thanks to their efforts, we collected more than 800 pounds of trash and recyclables, including more than 50 pounds of plastic and even some random items like a buoy and a couch! The event helped ensure that our riverfront and subsequently, our oceans are cleaner and safer for everyone.

The event at Gateway Arch National Park also featured a variety of programming, including a ‘Just Breathe’ yoga session led by The Collective STL, a ranger-led dog walk hosted by our B.A.R.K. Superintendents, and an educational session on the migration of monarch butterflies.

National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event to care for public lands, was established in 1994 on the fourth Saturday in September. According to the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), there were more than 50,000 people across the United States who took part in the 2022 celebration, the 29th annual event.

View our Facebook photo album for more photos of Gateway Arch National Park’s National Public Lands Day celebration. Thank you to all our volunteers and everyone who helped make National Public Lands Day 2022 a success!