Welcome!

We want to welcome everyone to our blog. We are excited to keep you updated about our travels and commitment to picking up trash along the way. To start things off we are going to copy the e-mail we sent to the National Park Service to inform them about our project and the dates we will be in their parks. If you have any questions or suggestions, please put them in the comments section. We will try and update this blog once a week, depending on internet availability. Also, please check out our other blog, www.goldrushof09.blogspot.com, to get greater insight into our trip.


To the National Park Service:

We are contacting your offices to inform your staffs about a project called Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Read: Taking Trash from the Trails to the Teachers.

We are dedicating our time to clean up the environment as we hike, climb, swim, walk, float, and bike the nation's local, state, and national parks and protected wildlife and recreation zones.

Through the Clinton Global Initiative University we have committed to collect at least 300 pounds of trash/recyclables and to speak to at least 15 classes of elementary school children, reaching at least 300 students, about our project.

Specific to the first part of our commitment, we will be collecting trash left from previous visitors as we enjoy these areas. After removing the refuse, we will weigh it towards our total and then place it in the correct recycling, compost, or waste bins. We will use parts of it to make art pieces to use during our demonstrations to local schools.

Specific to the second part of our commitment, we have designed a 20 minute presentation for local schools that will include interactive portions and a focus on their local environment. We will engage the students with questions about how they can participate by using the 3 R's and then be available for questions from the students about our commitment. Afterward, they will be able to follow our progress from a blog site highlighting the trash we have collected and places we have visited. This blog address is www.reducereuserecycleread.blogspot.com, and will be updated at least once a week.

We would like to inform you of our trip, and though it has already started, we look forward to working with your offices in the next several months. Below is a list of the parks we will visit and the tentative dates we plan to arrive.

Thank you for your time and any support you may offer. The greatest impact we hope to make is to educate others on how they can help positively affect our environment and to spark those individuals to incorporate similar service into their daily routines.

Sincerely,

Hunter & Haynes Riley


Park and Arrival Date

Wednesday, February 25th
Montezuma Castle National Monument

Thursday, February 26th
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and Wupatki National Monument

Friday, February 27th
Grand Canyon National Park

Saturday, February 28th
Grand Canyon National Park

Sunday, March 1st
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument

Monday, March 2nd
Zion National Park

Friday, March 6th
Joshua Tree National Park

Saturday, March 7th
Joshua Tree National Park

Sunday, March 8th
Red Rocks National Conservation Area

Monday, March 9th
Death Valley National Park

Tuesday, March 10th
Sequoia National Forest, Giant Sequoia National Monument, and Sequoia National Park

Wednesday, March 11th
Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park

Wednesday, March 18th
Los Padres National Forest

Thursday, March 19th
Yosemite National Park

Tuesday, March 24th
Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Thursday, March 26th
Point Reyes National Seashore

Sunday, March 29th
Redwood National and State Parks

Monday, March 30th
Crater Lake National Park

Wednesday, April 1st
Lewis and Clark National Historic Park

Friday, April 3rd
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Saturday, April 4th
Mount Rainier National Park

Monday, April 6th
Olympic National Park

Friday, April 10th
Banff National Park (Canada)

Saturday, April 11th
Glacier National Park

Wednesday, April 15th
Arches National Park

Thursday, April 16th
Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument

Friday, April 17th
Bryce Canyon National Park

Tuesday, May 19th
Badlands National Park

Wednesday, May 20th
Mount Rushmore National Monument and Devil’s Tower National Monument