CLEANING UP YOSEMITE? It's a Task, with a capital T, and if you wanted to capitalize the rest of the word, well, no one would stop you. After all, the national park is vast, with all sorts of remote spots, hidden nooks, and massive meadows, and picking up after other people is something that is going to take some time. And in a year without a pandemic? The time to do the picking up falls just after the summer visitors begin to abate. Summer 2020 has been much lighter, on the visitors-roaming-the-valley front, and the traditional clean-up that follows, known as the Yosemite Facelift, will take on a different focus in late September.
RATHER THAN GATHERING TOGETHER, as in years gone by, volunteers who'd like to join the multi-day clean-up are being encouraged to spiffy up their own stomping grounds. That might mean committing to an afternoon at a local park, where you'll pick up cups, bags, and other random litter, or sprucing up your neighborhood or block. The dates are Sept. 22-27, 2020, and the organizers have kindly provided the Toolkit 2020, which will help you get started.
THE WORD FROM THE FACELIFT TEAM? "During Facelift: Act Local (September 22nd-27th), we will be encouraging our global community to get into the outdoors and pick up trash at their local crags or even in their neighborhood parks and backyards," reads a message on the site. "The Facelift: Act Local event will hinge on participants sharing their trash pickup experiences on social media so we can celebrate all of the hard work the community is doing to be good stewards."
AND WHEN IT RETURNS, to Yosemite National Park, in 2021? You can join the action and pitch in among the picturesque trees, gorgeous Merced River, and those great granite walls. And, breathe a sigh of relief: You won't be tasked with cleaning ALL of Yosemite, from the upper peaks to the secret streams. The Yosemite Facelift focuses on some of the heavily visited parts of the valley, meaning you'll be sticking close to El Capitan, Half Dome, and the other towering wonders we all adore (and want to care for).
