The Merced River is cleaner, thanks to the efforts of over twenty dedicated youth and college students last Saturday. More than seven hundred pounds of trash were collected in the Merced River Recreation Area, just outside of Yosemite. In addition to the standard tools of trash pick-up (bags, gloves, etc.), students used an inflatable raft to collect hard-to-reach waste and recyclables, including a large sofa. The participants also scrubbed spray-painted rock to return the river’s banks to their natural beauty. ARC partnered with UC-Merced’s Yosemite Leadership Program and Ethos Mariposa for the river clean-up. The event was organized by the Sierra Foothill Conservancy and the Upper Merced River Watershed Council. Let’s continue to preserve the Merced River!