01 Nov Tread Lightly! Impact Report: Adventure X Fest Cleanup in Monongahela National Forest

Project: Adventure X Fest Cleanup in Monongahela National Forest
Location: West Virginia

Description: On September 14, 2023, 25 attendees of the fourth annual Adventure X Fest volunteered for a cleanup in the Monongahela National Forest. These attendees not only donated their time, but showed up two days early and donated money to support this project. Together they removed 3,384 pounds of trash from ten dispersed campsites. Volunteers also installed ten Carsonite posts with dispersed camping regulations. A Tread Lightly! Awareness Course was included for all participants.

The Adventure X Fest is an adventure basecamp event held annually by Mountain State Overland that offers music, camping and training over several days. Thank you to these volunteers and event organizers for integrating the Tread Lightly! ethic into this event!

Thank you to the partners who made this possible:

·         Mountain State Overland

·         Dirt Road Therapy

·         East Coast Overland Adventures

·         Midland Radio

Want to get involved in your own Tread Lightly! project? Find upcoming activities, events and grant opportunities at treadlightly.org.

“Tread Lightly! gives me an opportunity to do a small part to keep public lands open.  Camping and exploring is how I disconnect and reset my mind.  Volunteering on cleanups is a tangible way I can ensure I have places to go.  And I get to meet and hangout with some pretty cool, like-minded people!” -Jonathan Blackmon, Tread Lightly! member

“This was the first project I wanted to work on with Tread Lightly!, starting back in 2020. These remote dispersed camping locations can really use the help of volunteer conservation teams like this committed group to help keep them sustainable for people to enjoy for generations to come. If you see a dispersed camping area that could use some Tread Lightly! Care, please reach out to us and apply for a stewardship grant to Do Your Part.” – Scott Ammerman, Tread Lightly! Northeast Program Manager

“Working alongside a great group of volunteers makes for some of our favorite days. Tread Lightly hosted an amazingly productive workday on the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District and made picking up more than three thousand pounds of trash look easy and more importantly, fun! We are excited to continue upon this great work and foster a culture of stewardship and volunteerism on the Monongahela National Forest.” -Brooke Andrew ,Trails, Volunteers, and Partnerships Program Manager, Cheat-Potomac Ranger District of Monongahela National Forest

“AXF is a community event, not an expo, not a show. We want to connect people with adventure and want to set them up with the tools they need to explore responsibly. Partnering with Tread Lightly! for Adventure X Fest gave our guests an opportunity to participate in a clean up project the day before the event, learn why it’s so important to respect our lands and leave them better for the next adventurer.” Jason Specht, Creator/Director, Mountain State Overland