Trash in Miranda Canyon has been a problem for years.
Illegal dump sites have become the norm in many communities throughout Taos, which affects our natural lands, water quality, animal habitat and ecosystems. Every year, to ameliorate this growing problem, Amigos Bravos partners with youth from Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, Taos County, The Town of Taos, and the Questa Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service, to host a countywide cleanup day.
In 2019, the 13th Annual Rivers and Lands Cleanup was held on Saturday, June 22nd. Volunteers from all walks of life cleaned up 14.38 tons of trash from various illegal dump sites throughout Taos County. (1 ton = 2,000 lbs!)
Here’s how much trash was collected in various communities/areas throughout the County:
- Miranda Canyon: 7.89 tons
- Taos Pueblo: 4.58 tons
- Town of Taos: 1.16 tons
- Questa, NM: .75 tons
We are honored to have Taos Pueblo join our Rivers and Lands Cleanup for the past two years and look forward to working closely with them on future endeavors. Additional support came from St. James Episcopal Church, Cid’s Food Market, Taos Bakes, Super Save, and Ace Hardware.
Next year, we hope to increase participation by area youth, future stewards of the sacred land and water that sustain us all.