Who We Are
Open Space STL is proud to host the annual River des Peres Trash Bash cleanup of the watershed and surrounding areas. In collaboration with our partners Great Rivers Greenway, MSD Project Clear, the River des Peres Watershed Coalition, and EarthWays Center we annually host the #ConfluenceTrashBash and #RiverdesPeresTrashBash.
These land and water clean-ups at various sites throughout the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers Confluence watershed in the Spring, and the River des Peres and its watershed in the Fall help create better habitats for our native species and clean water for our community.
As Stream Team #5, we see this as an extension of the Operation Clean Stream Meramec River Clean-Up, which we host annually in the Summer. We are happy to offer these opportunities throughout the year and region.
Dedicated volunteers help clean up the rivers and creeks within the Confluence & River des Peres watersheds each year!
What We Do
River des Peres Trash Bash is held annually on the 4th Saturday in October.
RdPTB 2025 is October 25th!
All cleanup opportunities have a site supervisor present to sign-in participants, provide volunteers with trash bags and work gloves, and lead them through the cleanup of the chosen site. Our site leaders are volunteers and are incredible resources for you if you have questions or need assistance during your cleanup.
Volunteers pre-register and complete a liability waiver to select a cleanup site based on our grading scale, receive their free t-shirt (while supplies last), and help event organizers coordinate supplies. Upon registering, volunteers receive confirmation emails regarding further details.
Together, we can remove tons of trash, create a better habitat for wildlife, and protect our waterways from pollution so that everyone can enjoy the benefit of clean water!
Volunteers are always encouraged to take pictures and share them on social media using the #RiverdesPeresTrashBash so that everyone can join in the fun!
Passport to Clean Water and River des Peres Watershed Coalition Picnic at Deer Creek Park
Following a morning of hard work cleaning up trash, River des Peres volunteers are invited to attend a picnic and watershed celebration at Deer Creek Park. Please join us as we celebrate our successes and feast upon pulled pork sandwiches, salad, and rolls from Texas Roadhouse, in addition to hot dogs, veggies dogs, fried fish (caught by a local fisherman!), chips, soft drinks, beer from 4 Hands Brewing Co., and so much more!
This event is hosted in partnership with the River des Peres Watershed Coalition, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, Great Rivers Greenway, and the EarthWays Center and sponsored by Woodard Cleaning & Restoration.
Join us here for Passport to Clean Water, an educational event where kids can learn about regional land and water stewardship in the River des Peres watershed.
The picnic and Passport to Clean Water will take place from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM on Saturday, October 25th with a variety of organizations providing hands-on activities for kids.
We hope to see you out there!
