Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge hosted two Adopt-a-Road sessions this year, one in the spring and one in the fall. We are always disappointed by the amount of trash that our volunteers pick up, but we are so thankful for the community support to keep the refuge a beautiful place for wildlife and people, alike. 

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
17076 293rd Ave NW
Zimmerman, MN 55398
763-389-3323 Email: sherburne@fws.gov
fws.gov/refuge/sherburne/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Date 11/17/2023 Jade Pederson 763-389-3323 x 104
Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Thanks Dedicated Adopt-a-Road Volunteers
For over 25 years, the Adopt-a-Road program at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge has enlisted the help of volunteers to clean roadsides that boarder and bisect refuge land. Sherburne Refuge would like to recognize all of the Adopt-a-Road volunteers for their commitment, hard work and willingness to help keep the refuge pristine.
This year, there were two Adopt-a-Road sessions, one in the spring and one in the fall. The first Adopt-a-Road session was during the months of April, May and June and had 90 individuals volunteer their time to pick up 108 bags of trash on approximately 37 miles of refuge roads. During the months of September, October and November, 52 volunteers contributed to the second session, filling 84 bags of trash and cleaning over 40 miles of refuge roads.
The refuge would like to thank Ace Solid Waste for donating a dumpster for this effort! Throughout the two Adopt-a-Road sessions, roadside litter filled two eight-yard dumpsters, over 2,800 gallons of trash. In total, 192 bags of trash were collected, not including larger items that were left out of bags like vehicle tires and car batteries. The most common trash items were plastic bottles, food wrappers and aluminum cans.
The Adopt-a-Road program continues to be vital to the maintenance of the refuge, making it a better place for wildlife and people alike. Adopt-a-Road is not only a clean-up operation; it works to educate both our visitors and volunteers about the responsibility of land stewardship. Each time a volunteer is spotted walking down a roadside, we are reminded of our shared responsibility to care for the land and the effort that is required to preserve our refuge. The fact that Adopt-a-Road volunteers not only share this sense of responsibility, but take action to make it better, is what makes them so special, valued and appreciated.
Interested in adopting a section of road, either as an individual or an organization? Reach out to Jade Pederson at jade_pederson@fws.gov to be added to the contact list for next spring and/or fall.
Sherburne Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and is located near the cities of Princeton, Zimmerman and St. Cloud in central Minnesota. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/refuge/sherburne.
The mission of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
News Release

Pictured: Doug Hodson by JoAnne Hodson