11/28/25 8th annual Green Friday with Salt River Project
at Box Bar & Needle Rock Recreation Areas
The day after Thanksgiving, we hosted our 8th annual Green Friday Cleanup with Salt River Project at Box Bar & Needle Rock Recreation Areas on the Tonto National Forest. 102 volunteers, including 12 youth volunteers, helped us remove 3,560 pounds of trash.
We staged our Green Friday Cleanup at Box Bar Recreation Area & volunteers spread out on foot exploring & picking up trash. Volunteers also drove to Needle Rock Recreation Area, picking up trash along the way. Volunteers also helped pull & bag invasive stink net & cockleburs from the area.
Green Friday is our way of thinking differently about the day after Thanksgiving; it’s a chance to celebrate the connection between people & outdoor spaces in their community, inspire environmental stewardship, & encourage use of outdoor spaces for education, recreation, & general health.
This event was financed through a grant from Salt River Project. We are grateful to everyone at SRP for their continued support of our mission and our Restoration Projects across Arizona.
In addition to Salt River Project, this event was also possible due to support from our Sponsors: AC Infinity, AZ 4Runner Outsiders, Arizona Toy Pros, Arizona Plasma, Arizona Rock Products Association, Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co., Beer Barn, Desert Monsters Tours, Icon Vehicle Dynamics, Illuminated Funds Group, Native Resources, No Snow Standup Paddleboards, OdySea Aquarium, Resolution Copper, Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch, Salt River Project, State 48 Overland, Verderia, Victory 4x4, Visit Mesa, Wild West Off-Road Recovery, & Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative.
Thank you to everyone at U.S. Forest Service Tonto National Forest for their support! We are grateful to everyone from the Forest Service who came out to help pick up trash! They were still out picking up trash after the event wrapped up.
