On September 6, 2025, The Dawes Arboretum collaborated with the Licking County Soil and Water Conservation District to achieve its 30th River Round Up. For over a decade, The Arboretum has rallied community members to volunteer to pick up trash along the 30-mile stretch of the Licking County River for this special event focused on beautifying the shared space and ensuring a healthy ecosystem for the future.
This year, the River Round Up brought together 277 volunteers at 12 locations. In total, the community collected:
- 8,610 pounds of trash
- 174 tires
- 1,321 pounds of scrap metal
As part of The River Round Up, The Arboretum collected 3,000 pounds of trash (35% of the total amount of trash collected)!
The Arboretum was one of the 12 locations that participated in the River Round Up. The Arboretum focused its clean up on Dutch Fork Stream, a part of Dutch Fork Wetlands. The Dutch Fork Wetlands is a 70-acre area that has been restored from agricultural use and is now a natural wetland as part of the Dawes Arboretum. It features six pools, a meadow, an observation deck, and a shelter house, providing a habitat for a variety of plants, birds, insects, and mammals.
Don’t forget, Dutch Fork Wetlands is one of the areas of The Arboretum that visitors can visit without admission year-round! The area is accessible via a gravel parking area near the intersection with Licking Trails Road.
“Every year, I am inspired by those who come out to clean up our community,” said Director of Science and Research, Holly Latteman. “It’s amazing to witness the impact that our team, volunteers, and community members have on our Arboretum."
We’re pleased to announce that this year we had an increase of volunteers! The Arboretum is grateful to the 57 volunteers that came out to show a continued commitment to environmental preservation.
To learn more about volunteering with Dawes, visit here: https://dawesarb.volunteerhub.com/vv2/.