STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Environmental Resource Center will host its annual Clean Sweep today to tidy public places in the valley.

And this summer there will be plenty more opportunities to serve.

• Clean Sweep will be held from 9 a.m. to noon today—Saturday May 1. Meet at either Bellevue Memorial Park at 3^rd Street, Hop Porter Park on Bullion Street in Hailey or at the ERC in Ketchum at 471 Washington Ave. to register and pick up garbage bags and gloves. Complimentary breakfast snacks and coffee will be available.

  Participants will get a free lunch coupon provided by KB’s and a chance at prizes.

• The ERC plans to hold knapweed pulls and trash and dog poop pick-ups all summer long, thanks to the generosity of the Wood River Women’ Foundation, the Richard K. and Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation and the Sawtooth Society.

Those who’d like to help are invited to sign up for Weed Warriors and/or Poop Patrol. Volunteers will get trained to pull invasive weed at high-priority riparian areas in exchange for swag, snacks and the reward of a job well done.

Swag and snacks will also be available for summer sweeps addressing trash and dog waste.

To join in the fun, email the ERC’s programs coordinator at vicky@ercsv.org or call the office at 208-726-4333.

SPUR FOUNDATION HELPS WITH PUP (PICK UP THE PLANET)

The Spur Foundation will match up to $12,500 in donations over the next two months to fully fund the ERC’s PUP (Pick up for the Planet) program for the summer. The funding will allow the ERC to maintain 16 trailhead bins during the summer, transition to fully biodegradable poop bags, run weekly trailhead pick-ups and keep more than 50,000 pounds of dog waste out of the watershed.

Donating $35 or more makes you an ERC member with special rates on events, workshops and EcoCamp. You can donate at http://www.ercsv.org/get-involved/support-erc/