Our Story

Like many of the best ideas, National CleanUp Day was more of a slow trickle than a sudden thunderclap. Our origins begin high in the mountains and at the beach.  Steve Jewett, an avid hiker and climber, gradually became aware of trash on his favorite trails. He and his hiking partner, Bill Willoughby began to pick up items like cigarette butts, candy wrappers, and water bottle caps on their hikes together; at first just picking up what they could fit in their pockets and later carrying a bag with them.

There was still the problem of trash they didn’t want to touch with their bare hands, so one day Steve started trying out various types of barbecue tongs. Steve and Bill started to make a game of it; Bill would spot the trash and Steve would pick it up. If Bill missed a piece, Steve would point it out with a very loud, “You missed one!” They were having fun, and other hikers on the trail noticed and wanted to join in too!

While hiking, Steve and Bill would talk about your typical “save the world” topics, like ending hunger, homelessness, the world’s economic woes, and especially how their favorite places were becoming spoiled, so they began to brainstorm about how to motivate others to have fun while cleaning trails. They wanted to take their idea nationwide…

While they hiked, they continually processed their ideas and concepts, validating some and eliminating those that they found impractical.

Steve and Bill then tested their concepts on fellow hikers, discussing their successes and failures..  They applied business and marketing processes to create a plan for the successful launch of a sustainable nonprofit organization.  

Steve and Bill began the search to recruit board members and advisors.   The next task was to bring in volunteers to support the local outdoor communities. The organization has been successful in attracting a wide spectrum of people wishing for a cleaner environment. We are actively engaged in increasing our non-profit partners, business partners, land managers and volunteers.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us.

Who We Are

National CleanUp Day is global in scope and is one of several initiatives by Clean Trails to draw attention to litter solutions.  We are partnering with multiple organizations worldwide.  Clean Trails is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization and community of people dedicated to keeping the outdoors clean.  Study after study shows the highest indicator that someone will pick up litter is if they witness someone else picking up litter. That’s because peer group norms are more powerful than incentives, and together, they can provide impressive behavioral change.

Core to our beliefs is the notion that people want to do the right things; all they need is a little encouragement or incentive. We believe that people are naturally responsible; if we encourage them to care for their favorite places, to pick up after themselves and others, then our outdoor spaces will become self-sufficient, clean, and more enjoyable.