Welcome, volunteers! Whether you are an existing Adopt a Highway volunteer group or a collection of civic-minded folks wanting to participate with a one-day volunteer permit, we hope you’ll join us for National CleanUp Day!

National CleanUp Day is Saturday, Sept. 19. Only weeks away, this day is set aside for individuals and organizations to unite for the purpose of reducing litter in their communities.

Online registration is new this year! Adopt a Highway volunteer groups and other groups requesting a one-day permit will have the opportunity to register for the cleanup. A link to the registration form is coming soon. All groups are required to report litter totals within three days of the event. Last year, about 100 Adopt a Highway volunteer groups came out around the state to clean up their adopted highway segments. Thier combined effort collected more than 1.3 tons of litter from state highways.

At this time we are asking all volunteers to respect guidelines for social distancing and follow all regulations of the jurisdiction where your cleanup is taking place. Keep groups fewer than 10 people as recommended by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Wash your hands, especially after touching any frequently used item or surface. Avoid touching your face. 

The Adopt a Highway team plans to visit as many volunteer groups around the state as logistics allow. If your cleanup is along our route, you will receive advanced notification prior to National CleanUp Day.

We'd love to see and share your National CleanUp Day group photos on social media. Please use the hashtag #NationalCleanUpDay and tag your photos with @ArizonaDOT. Send us your group photos and include your sign in the background for possible use in an upcoming ADOT blog.

Thank you for considering National CleanUp Day on Saturday, Sept. 19 as an opportunity to help reduce litter along our highways.

Arizona, Keep It Grand!

The Adopt a Highway program asks volunteers to commit to cleaning up a highway segment for at least two years. Several Adopt a Highway volunteer groups in Heber-Overgaard have gone well beyond that by helping keep their local highways pristine for nearly 20 years or more! We recently highlighted some of these long-term Adopt a Highway groups at an event in the White Mountains.

The following groups were recognized for their long-term commitment to the Adopt a Highway program.

• Ponderosa Lions Club (30 years)
• Heber-Overgaard Fire District (19 years)
• NAPA Auto Part of Overgaard (17 years)

The Aug.1 event was organized by the Heber-Overgaard Chamber of Commerce, which also recently joined their ranks in the Adopt a Highway program. Volunteers from the four groups, along with other community members, turned out to pick up litter along state routes 260 and 277. They covered 12 miles and filled 80 trash bags in only two hours. 

Heber-Overgaard Fire District Chief William McCluskey said, "We’ve been here a long time and we’re going to continue to do that. It’s the heart of the community. All of these people provide their time and effort for free and come out as early at 6 a.m." 

Click below to hear from Heber-Overgaard Chamber of Commerce Board Member Tania Rush talk about why the chamber wanted to participate in the cleanup.

 

During the public health situation, volunteer groups are encouraged to continue their cleanups, but follow health guidelines from the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention by keeping groups to less than 10 people, social distancing and wearing masks.

If you'd like to adopt a highway, visit azdot.gov/adoptahighway.   

If you drive through the Hopi Reservation, you’ll notice an Adopt a Highway sign that reads “BC One of a Kind” about 11 miles south of Second Mesa. It honors Branyon Rebeau Claw Sr., the oldest son of Madeline Sahneyah, also known as “BC.”

While BC was a son to Madeline. He was also a father to Jenna and Branyon Jr., pictured below. Nearly two decades ago, BC died in a vehicle crash. His family has spent the past 15 years cleaning milepost 395-396 along State Route 87 to remember their beloved son and father. Each year, between two and 15 family members and friends gather early in the morning to pick up litter. After the cleanup is done, they all return to breakfast at BC’s grandmother’s home.

Madeline said, “Every time the highway is cleaned, BC is remembered as one who respected all living things. Everyone remembers his smile which reflected the kindness of his soul.”

Besides being a son and father, BC served as a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer. While BC died in an off-duty collision, the adopted highway segment was selected by BC’s fellow police officers. It was an area where they often held roadblocks.

BC’s family believes his spirit is at peace knowing people remember him each time they travel on his segment of SR 87.

If you would like to honor your father through an Adopt a Highway mile, please visit the Adopt a Highway website. 

A prominent location in need of attention drew the Arizona Rangers to adopt the first mile of State Route 77 leading north out of Show Low.

“Our highway segment is on the way to the Lone Pine Dam refuse transfer station and was in desperate need of a cleanup. This portion of SR 77 connects the Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside area to Taylor, Snowflake and eventually Holbrook. We hoped having our sign on this well-traveled road would give us some additional public exposure because not a lot of Arizonans know who we are,” said Ranger Bob Coleman.

The Arizona Rangers are a unique volunteer law enforcement auxiliary consisting of approximately 500 men and women dispersed around the state and divided into 20 separate companies. The Arizona Rangers Show Low Company has about 22 members serving the area of Navajo County along the Mogollon Rim.

“We discussed ways to give more to the Show Low community and get better exposure at the same time, so we decided to look into the Adopt a Highway program,” said Coleman.

Coleman hails from Casa Grande and spent four years stationed in Mt. Home, Idaho, while in the United States Air Force. After retirement he worked at a facility for adjudicated juveniles, where they adopted a highway. This positive experience followed him back home to Arizona where he registered the Arizona Rangers Show Low Company with ADOT’s Adopt a Highway Volunteer program on Dec. 12, 2018.

Coleman, who serves as the group volunteer coordinator, remembers his Idaho days fondly. “It was a very positive experience for all involved and I’m sure it will be for our Ranger company also.” 

When the rangers are not cleaning up litter along SR 77 at milepost 343, they are providing assistance to law enforcement agencies and civic organizations. From volunteer guard service and securing crime scenes, to Secret Santa and scholarships, its volunteers serve in a big way. Last year, in spite of busy schedules, about 12 rangers achieved three litter cleanups. 

“The winters on the mountain can be pretty severe at times,” Coleman said. “We are usually limited to April through September to do our pickups.” Summer is a busy time for the company and in spite of planning there are always some conflicts. “Even though we’re busy, we pull together as a team and have really bonded with our stretch of highway.” 

“The pride we feel when completing the litter pickup is something that is hard to explain to others. When you’re out there sweating and your joints and back start to ache, people driving by will honk their horn in appreciation and it helps ease the pain a little bit. Doing something where there is a clear start and finish with litter bags lining the highway once the job is done, is something any organization would take a lot of pride in seeing.”

With that, Ranger Coleman tossed out a challenge for others: “Are you looking for something to help build your team in an environment outside of your normal work environment?  This is an awesome opportunity to bond together and feel like you have given back to your community in a way that is easy to see the physical results.” 

We appreciate Ranger Coleman and all Show Low Ranger Company volunteers for outstanding volunteer service to the community and the state of Arizona. The Rangers are helping ADOT Keep it Grand. Visit the ADOT Adopt a Highway website to learn more about the program. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: During this unprecedented time, ADOT is creating transportation activities for kids. Please visit azdot.gov/ADOTKids or use the hashtag #ADOTKids on ADOT's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts to see what we have going on. (This blog originally appeared in 2020)

By Mary Currie / ADOT Communications

We loved the chalk art you created a couple of weeks ago encouraging others to Keep It Grand by not littering. I hope you were able to catch my video where we answered your questions about the most common type of litter picked up and how much trash we collect. That video also features your artwork and we've added it to a Flickr album too! 

This week we have a coloring page where you can color in the Keep It Grand logo or add your design to the Adopt a Highway kids. Click on the image at right to get a version you can print.

Once you're done, don't forget to email your coloring to [email protected] by Wednesday, May 20, 2020. We'll again feature it on our website and we may share it on Twitter or Facebook! If you have a parent post your artwork on social media, make sure they use the hashtag #ADOTKids so we'll see it. 

On Friday, May 22, we'll share all of your art and also send those of you who participated a stormwater activity book and an Adopt a Highway lapel pin.

You may be wondering why we encourage everyone to avoid tossing trash out their car window. We have some statistics that will help you understand that trash is a problem we need to deal with.

• Each year 51.2 billion pieces of litter are left on roadways in the United States. That's more than 6,700 pieces of trash per mile! 
• Last year, Arizona Adopt a Highway volunteers picked up 16,000 bags of litter.
• Volunteers helping pick up trash along state highways saved taxpayers $580,000 in 2019.

While we have more than 1,100 volunteer groups cleaning up nearly 2,000 miles of state highway, there is more work to do. If you or your family is interested in adopting a mile, please visit our Adopt a Highway webpage. It's easy to adopt and you can even get your name on a highway sign! 

Lions Clubs throughout the world have a motto: “We Serve.” And the Overgaard Ponderosa Lions Club has a rich history of doing just that. 

Doug Harris, Arizona Lions district governor and Adopt a Highway Volunteer program coordinator, told me the club has maintained State Route 277 between mileposts 306-308 for more than 15 years. Their continued participation in the program and litter removal efforts help beautify this unincorporated town, a popular respite from the Valley’s summer heat. 

This year, the Lions and the Heber-Overgaard Chamber of Commerce tried to coordinate a specific single date as Town Beautification Day with local church volunteers assisting. This was a planned community event that would include a prize that many would love: biscuits and gravy. 

Unfortunately, recent adjustments to social gathering practices during the public health situation put this gathering, like many, on hold until further notice. 

Typically, nine to 15 Lions Club members participate in litter pickups. Harris told me that among the items they’ve found was paper currency while collecting aluminum cans. The most unusual and concerning item found was a wheel still attached to a half-axle that appeared to have come off of a homemade trailer.

While the public health situation put a snag in holding the community event, the Lions remain busy supporting those in need through the many Lions Club programs. Those programs include sight conservation, hearing and speech conservation, diabetes awareness, youth outreach, international relations and environmental issues. 

The Adopt a Highway Volunteer program thanks the dedicated force of Lions who selflessly care for their adopted segment of SR 277, helping ADOT to Keep It Grand. 

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please visit the Adopt a Highway website. Our map shows which highway segments are available for adoption.

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: During this unprecedented time, ADOT is creating transportation activities for kids. Please visit azdot.gov/ADOTKids or use the hashtag #ADOTKids on ADOT's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts to see what we have going on.

By Mary Currie / ADOT Communications

We've been encouraged by all the kids who want to Keep it Grand and have participated in our art challenge! Your work encouraging others to avoid littering has been great. Litter is unsightly and not good for our environment. It's also very expensive to pick up. So it's really important for us all to do our part in keeping Arizona beautiful. 

Besides amazing works of art, we also received questions, like this one from 12-year-old Rohini​:

​How much litter is on our highways?

W​e checked with our maintenance crews and l​ast year ​in the Phoenix area alone, they collected more than 630 tons of litter. That's about the weight of 16 ​gray ​whales​!​

This question came in from 8-year-old Daniel of Prescott Valley:

Why do people litter the highways?

We don't know why people litter, but we do know that all types of litter are collected by Adopt a Highway volunteers along Arizona's highways. Volunteers have collected cigarette butts, soda cans and water bottles. Sometimes these items are blown from truck beds or vehicles while traveling. This type of littering is easy to prevent by simply stashing your trash in a small litter bag it in your vehicle and tossing it in a trash can at your next stop.

You had a lot more great questions that I answer in today's video at right. You'll also be able to see some of the artwork that was submitted. All of the Keep It Grand drawings you sent are in the slideshow below.

​If this is the first ADOT Kids activity you've participated in, please make sure you check out our free Zoom backgrounds and No-Litter Lucy maze. Our current activity asks kids to design bridges! You can find all of our ADOT Kids activities at azdot.gov/ADOTKids. and the ADOT Blog at azdot.gov/blog. Please check back often because there are new ones coming out all the time.

Now let's look at everyone's terrific art!

EDITOR'S NOTE: ADOT asks volunteers to limit group sizes and to respect guidelines for social distancing during group cleanups, as recommended by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you are traveling northbound toward Show Low on US 60, watch for a mile dedicated to Melissa Pomeroy greeting motorists at mileposts 334-335. “We picked the closest segment coming into Show Low from Tucson that was available,” says Michelle Keith, Melissa’s twin. 

Melissa called this part of the White Mountains home, even though the sisters grew up in Tucson. Together, they spent summers at the family’s second home. Michelle recalls her sister's love of Show Low, and the seasonal changes on the Rim. Melissa loved the big trees and the snow, so much so, that she moved to Show Low after college. She got married and raised her family in Show Low while working as a teacher at the local elementary school.

When Melissa unexpectedly passed in 2014 at the age of 48, one of Michelle’s worst fears was that her sister would be forgotten. The highway cleanup is just a little way to keep Melissa's memory alive within their family. Michelle often runs into people who say, “I saw your sister’s sign today.” Those words bring a comforting reminder to Michelle that her beloved sister’s memory remains bright and that this sister’s love will never fade. 

Since 2018, Michelle has participated in the Adopt a Highway Volunteer program and organizes cleanups a couple times a year, mostly with family members. About 190 miles separates Tucson from Show Low, but uniting to remember Melissa brings people together several times a year. “We all have a good time doing it," Michelle says. "Melissa was proud of Show Low.”

If you are interested in caring for a segment of highway in memory of a loved one, please visit the Adopt a Highway website to learn how. View the map to see which segments are available for adoption.

EDITOR'S NOTE: During this unprecedented time, ADOT is creating transportation activities for kids. Please visit azdot.gov/ADOTKids or use the hashtag #ADOTKids on ADOT's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts to see what we have going on. 

By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

If you've participated in our 'Keep it Grand' art challenge and are wondering how you can join the fight against litter, this blog post is for you! 

​Through the years, we've had many kids participate in ADOT's Adopt a Highway volunteer program. Whether big or small, volunteers always feel like they get something out of the experience. Volunteers have told us adopting a highway is a "feel-good thing to do" and is "important work."

Did you know this is National Volunteer Week? We celebrated it today by paying tribute to the 10,000 volunteers who picked up litter along state highways in the past year. 

Many of our youngest volunteers start when their families adopt stretches of highway. That means they agree to pick up litter along the highway at least once a year. An earlier blog post highlights how the Clark family has been picking up litter along State Route 473 in the White Mountains for 11 years. The picture on the right shows their two daughters after a cleanup. While the Clark family is helping beautify our state, they also use the time to share family memories. 

Each year, the Coester family ​gathers 15 to 20 family and friends, young and old, to work on US 180. You can see the large group that gathered last summer and read their story in our blog post. You’ll learn how the family honors David Coester and the area he loved. The family enjoys welcoming their little family members to the group to be guided by those with more experience. 

For those who don’t gather with their families to adopt highways, civic and charitable groups can participate. Boy Scout Troop 7193 cleans up mile 222 on State Route 260 near Camp Verde. Near St. Johns in eastern Arizona, the Apache County 4-H club works on milepost 380. Whether it is a religious group, youth group or school group, all are welcome! 

If you want to see what a litter pickup looks like, watch our video below.

You can learn more about how easy it is to participate in the Adopt a Highway program on our website. For safety reasons, we ask volunteers to be 12 and older. 

A reminder: If you have questions about picking up litter around the state or want us to feature your artwork encouraging others to keep our state clean, please send them to [email protected] by 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 22. We’ll be answering your questions and showing off your artwork on Friday, April 24.

A bonus activity: I hope you'll check out the maze at bottom right. You can print play by clicking the image or the link below it. Have fun No-litter Lucy get her litter bag to the trash can!