DiRtBaG Clean-Up Week
April 21-26, 2025
Every April, when the snow melts and reveals the litter on the sidewalks, forests, trails and beaches of Homer, HoWL DiRtBaGs clean it up. Local businesses and community members support the DiRtBaGs and HoWL need-based scholarships, through donations during Clean-Up Week.
2025 SCHEDULE
After School Clean-Ups: Monday-Friday 3:30-5:30 and 4:15-5:30
Beach Clean-Up and Awards Celebration: Saturday, April 26, 11:00am-2:00pm
Virtual Clean-Up: Unable to join us at the above times? You can still participate with your own crew by picking up trash bags, gloves, and Homer maps from the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies office. Make sure to let us know what location you pick-up and how much trash you collect!
HoWL DiRtBaG Raffle is now open -
Enter to win a bear viewing trip to Brooks Falls!
Registration for DiRtBaG Clean-Up-Week 2025 is now open!
In 2024, 78 youth participated to collect 135 bags of trash around Homer!
Since 2011, 900 DiRtBaGs have cleaned up 1720 bags of litter from Homer's trails, beaches, streets and sidewalks.
TO PARTICIPATE:
Youth ages 8-18 meet at the Bishops Beach green Monday-Saturday where they dispatch to litter locations. Snacks, gloves, safety vests and DiRtBaG t-shirts are provided. In addition to scholarships, HoWL recognizes youth who pick up the most trash, get the dirtiest, or exemplify teamwork and leadership during our party on Saturday.
DiRtBaGs collect pledges from businesses and community members. When pledge money is submitted to HoWL after Clean-Up week, a scholarship of equal amount is applied toward the cost of a HoWL program. Register above to join us for this year’s clean-up-week!
TO VOLUNTEER:
DiRtBaG Clean-Up Week is made more magical by the adult volunteers who help us pull it off. Every year we need responsible adults to: supervise and drive crews to litter locations, provide snacks for the DiRtBaGs, and assist with the party on Saturday. To volunteer, contact HoWL’s Programs Director!
To Sponsor the DiRtBaGs:
DiRtBaG Scholarships rely upon the generosity of Homer’s local businesses and community members. Your cash donation translates directly to both: a cleaner Homer and a youth getting to participate in a HoWL program.
2025 Sponsorship Benefits:
$500+ cash or in-kind donation = Your logo on the 2026 DiRtBaG Tee-shirt, a Gratitude Flag flying annually at Clean-Up Week, your business name and link on our website
$250+ cash or in-kind donation = a Gratitude Flag flying annually at Clean-Up Week, your business name and link on our website
$50+ cash or in-kind donation = a Gratitude Flag flying annually at Clean-Up Week
