That time I doubted the Bosque cleanup group but ended up joining them every month

I moved here from Ohio three years ago and kept seeing those trash bag piles along the bike path near the Rio Grande. Honestly I figured it was just some city crew doing their job or maybe a school project. Then last spring I overheard a guy at the Flying Star say his Tuesday morning cleanup had pulled 14 tires out of the bosque in one go. That got me curious so I showed up one Saturday with my own gloves and a grabber. Turns out it's a loose group of maybe 20 regulars who just show up whenever they can, no sign ups or anything. We filled 8 contractor bags with broken glass, plastic bottles, and even an old shopping cart in under two hours. Have any of you run into this group or another volunteer effort that surprised you with how organized it actually was?

2 comments

2 Comments

parkerh381mo ago

Saw my buddy Bob join them after he pulled a mangled bike from the river.

dakotacraig1mo ago

Yeah, pulling a mangled bike from the river is basically a rite of passage around here. @parkerh38, tell Bob to check the bottom bracket and the spokes first. I fished one out last spring and the frame was fine but the drivetrain was totally shot from being underwater. Had to flush the hubs with WD-40 and replace the chain and cassette.