Union Pacific Raliroad Trail Cleanup and Museum Visit #USA

On January 15, 2022, Shine City Project volunteers spent an entire day together in Henderson and Boulder City. In the morning, the team of ten congregated at Acacia Park in Henderson, Nevada, and joined many other volunteers for cleanup with “Get Outdoors Nevada.” They helped to collect litter along the Union Pacific Railroad Trail – a trail that runs alongside the historic Union Pacific Railroad’s track. The trail is well maintained and is perfect for pedestrians and cyclists.

At first, the Shine City volunteers could not find an abundance of trash, but after walking for several minutes, they found areas along the trail that were heavily littered. These areas included a water drainage area and a dirt lot adjacent to some residential homes. An assortment of items was found, including food packaging, children’s clothes, and a BBQ grill.

With the help of the volunteers who were present for the cleanup, a total of two hundred sixty-two pounds of trash was collected.

After the service project, the Shine City Project group made a short drive to Boulder City to Hemenway Park, where they had lunch and enjoyed the view of Lake Mead while observing some wild bighorn sheep.
Lunch was followed by a visit to the Nevada State Railroad Museum, where the group learned about the history of the Union Pacific Railroad and the role it played in the construction activities of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s. The group was able to walk around the museum, explore a couple of the exhibits, and enjoy a forty-minute train ride in an open-air train car. The volunteers ended their day with some boba tea and card games. The day’s activities were a great time of service and fellowship with each other, and they hope to have another trip together again.