This year, with the collective goal in mind to leave our wild places better, the Granite Gear Grounds Keepers removed 3,400 pounds of trash from long trails, section hikes and parks around the country. The majority of the trash picked up was small items such as bar wrappers, aluminum cans, plastic bottle lids and toilet paper.
The 2018 Grounds Keepers team was supported with gear from Granite Gear and participating partner Altra Running. The 31 diverse hikers each played an instrumental role in cleaning up the following places we play: Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Colorado Trail, Florida National Scenic Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, Superior Hiking Trail, John Muir Trail, Grand Enchantment Trail, and various local, state and national parks in Utah, Oregon, New York, Minnesota, Colorado, Arizona and Illinois. One team, Liz and Rachel of @StateofGo on Instagram, toured the lower 48 states in their van and removed over 270 pounds of trash from various campgrounds, trails and parks. Holly Walker of Salt Lake City, Utah picked up trash in all five national parks and all 43 state parks in Utah.
In late Spring, Granite Gear’s Customer Service Manager, Julie Hukriede, formed the Two Harbors, Minnesota Grounds Keepers team. Getting outdoors as often as possible, the group of six hikers removed 753.2 pounds of trash from the town’s trails and parks and received honorable recognition from the City Council and Two Harbors’ Mayor, Chris Swanson.
“The Grounds Keepers have inspired all of us, especially our team at Granite Gear, to be Grounds Keepers for life. It’s impossible for us to go outside, see trash on the ground and walk away,” Rob Coughlin, General Manager of Granite Gear said. “We want this same Grounds Keeping sensation to be felt by every outdoor recreationist in the country. That’s the goal.”
Granite Gear and Altra Running extend a sincere thank you to every individual on the 2018 team: Eli Boschetto, JJ Brooks, Jenny Bruso, Carrie Coan, Heidi Dean, Connor “Bard” DeVane, Trish Harer, Avy “Avatar” Harris, Alyssa Hei, Julie Hukriede, Amanda “Zuul” Jameson, Steve Jewett, Brock Johnson, Amanda Kincaid, Michelle Macy, Jacob “Zen” Mattson, Michelle Miller, Gary Nelson, Tania Parra, Cheryl Passe, Derrick Passe, Luke “Poncho” Scazzero, Jennifer “Turtle” Shorr, Steven “Bangarang” Snyder, Emma Vigers, Holly Walker, Rob “Legs” Weilbacher, Dustin Whyte, Liz “Yellow Bird” Snyder, Rachel Wood, Kat Rumbly and Alexis “Parakeet” Rodriguez. Additionally, many partners and friends supported these individuals in their efforts to clean up the trails. Each team member has committed to being a #GroundsKeeper4Life.
“The way I see trash has completely changed since joining the Groundskeepers. I no longer see it as things intentionally left by inconsiderate people who don’t care about nature, though there’s certainly a lot of that, too!” said Grounds Keeper Jenny Bruso of Unlikely Hikers. “Those little plastic bits from water bottles, corners town off energy bars and things absentmindedly pulled out of pockets are EVERYWHERE and rarely left intentionally! Joining this program wasn’t a one-time commitment. It’s a lifestyle change. I am constantly scanning now and I pick every single bit up. How could I possibly stop?”
In 2019, Granite Gear will expand the Grounds Keepers program to include waterways and lakes. A total of 30 individuals will be supported by Granite Gear with product and receive social media highlights and frequent communication. Brand partners for the 2019 programwill be announced in January 2019.
The application for the 2019 program is currently liveand will close on November 11th. Visit www.thegroundskeepers.orgto learn more about the program and follow along at #TheGroundsKeepers and Grounds Keepers Instagram. For more information on any of Granite Gear’s programs or sponsorships, please contact Shelly Smith at shelly@granitegear.com.
