SPANISH LAKE, Mo.— The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is once again helping to sponsor one of the largest litter clean-ups in the St. Louis area—the 11^th Annual Confluence Trash Bash. The event is happening Saturday, March 23, from 8 a.m. until noon. MDC’s Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in Spanish Lake will serve as one of multiple starting locations for the event.

Volunteers will help clean up rivers and creeks that lie within the Confluence Greenway. Past cleanup efforts have drawn over a thousand volunteers who have removed 6,700 tires and more than 150 tons of trash and scrap from area streams and rivers. Participants should report for sign up between 8 and 8:45 a.m.

Volunteers can choose from the following starting locations to check in and receive a free bagel breakfast and T-shirt from 8-8:45 a.m.:

• Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, 801 Strodtman Rd, St. Louis, MO 63138
• Creve Coeur Park, 2160 Creve Coeur Mill Road, St. Louis, MO 63146
• Chesterfield River’s Edge Park, 17089 North Outer 40 Rd #140, Chesterfield, MO 63005 (Open to ages 16 and older only; head into Bike Stop Cafe for breakfast and registration.)
• Florissant Sunset Park, 2300 Sunset Park Drive, Florissant, MO 63031
• Bridgeton Government Center, 12355 Natural Bridge Road, Bridgeton, MO 63044
• Hanley Hills City Hall, 7713 Utica Dr., St. Louis, MO 63133
• Overland Wild Acres Park, 2500 Ashby Road, Overland, MO 63114
• Dellwood Recreation Center, 10266 W. Florissant 63136
• Greenwood Cemetery, 6439 St. Louis Ave. 63121

Specific cleanup sites will then be assigned near each of the starting locations.

Participants are reminded to bring gloves and dress appropriately for weather conditions and in clothes they don’t mind getting wet or dirty. Bringing a water bottle is also recommended; there will be water available. Trash bags will also be provided. Transportation is available for school and other groups by contacting Colleen Scott (Colleen.Scott@mdc.mo.gov ) at MDC.

To register online, visit https://bit.ly/23ZVTVI.

In addition to MDC, co-sponsors of the Confluence Trash Bash include Great Rivers Greenway, the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, Missouri American Water, and Missouri Department of Conservation Stream Team.

Partners on this event include St. Louis Audubon, Greenway Network, League of Watershed Guardians, St. Louis Brightside, St. Louis County. Participating municipalities include St. Louis County, cities of St. Louis, Maryland Heights, Creve Coeur, Florissant, Bridgeton, Overland, Hanley Hills, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Jennings, Normandy, Black Jack, Hazelwood, Breckenridge Hills, Chesterfield, Berkeley, Dellwood, and Ballwin.