Harlow Island National Wildlife Refuge trash cleanup.

Name: Harlow Island National Wildlife Refuge trash cleanup.
Start: 2026-02-21T08:30:00-06:00
End: 2026-02-21T16:30:00-06:00
Location: 502 State Road AA, Festus, MO 63028, United States

Schedule

Sat Feb 21 2026 at 08:30 am to 04:30 pm

UTC-06:00

Location

502 State Road AA, Festus, MO 63028, United States | Festus, MO

Stream Teams 211 and 5863 are teaming up with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to host a cleanup at Harlow Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Saturday, February 21, 2026 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Your help is needed to remove flood debris that has accumulated at Harlow Island National Wildlife Refuge. The area is quite littered with glass and plastic beverage bottles, small trash, several hundred tires, and some larger items like refrigerators from decades of flooding. We plan to clean at least a mile long section in the middle of the refuge in the wooded area along the Mississippi River. Harlow Island is mostly flat terrain, but some areas may be quite rigorous to walk due to thick vegetation and downed logs. Access to the trash site from the new parking lot consist of a half mile of brush-hogged path before entering the wooded area. Walking may involve 0.5 - 3 miles, depending on where you choose to help. For those that have deer sleds, they would be helpful in moving trash bags/tires to the collection points (to be determined).
T-shirts, gloves, and trash bags provided by the Missouri Stream Team Program. Some snacks will be provided. A water jug will be available to refill water bottles.
Dress for the weather; layered clothing, warm headgear, sturdy, comfortable hiking shoes/boots. Snug-fitting gloves are helpful as the work gloves alone are not warm. Refillable water bottle encouraged. A light daypack is helpful to carry your water bottle, extra trash bags, clothing layers, and maybe that special piece of trash that you want to keep (there are some really old bottles!). If you plan to work all day (you're welcome to arrive and leave of your own choosing), please bring a lunch (and take a break!). Some snacks will be provided, but donations will be greatly appreciated.
Everyone needs to sign a waiver (parent/guardian to sign if under age 18). We ask that minors be accompanied by an adult for this event.
PLEASE text one of the following - Bill McIlwee at (636)375-0684, Janet McIlwee at (314)303-6419, or Bernie (314)956-2101 - if you plan to attend and include your tee size (men’s sizes).
IMPORTANT: Check the Stream Team calendar Friday afternoon, February 20th, in the event we need to cancel the cleanup due to weather or unforeseen reasons.
https://www.mostreamteam.org/calendar-of-events.html
We will meet and enter the refuge via the new parking lot on the other side of the RR crossing at the end of State Rt AA south of Festus, MO
Directions:
From Festus and north: Hwy 55 south to exit #170. Exit down the ramp and turn Left under Hwy 55 onto Hwy 61 South. Drive 2.7 miles, turn Left on State Rt AA (Google map address: 502 State Rt AA, Festus, MO 63028). Proceed with caution across the RR crossing (Beware, trains do not always blow their horns: Stop, look, listen) then follow the gravel road to the new parking lot. The parking lot has room for approximately 30 vehicles, which capacity may be reduced by some vehicles hauling trailers. If the parking lot becomes full, we ask that everyone park on only 1 side of the road to allow for vehicle passage. We highly recommend ride-sharing due to parking constraints.
NOTE: There are no restroom facilities at this site, but we are looking at providing a porta-john. The nearest gas station is at Hwy 55 and State Rt AA. Cell phone service is spotty at the Nature Refuge.
This will be a fun and memorable cleanup!