The 2026 Annual River Clean-Up took place on February 7, gathering 196 volunteers to work along the Santa Cruz River. The group removed a total of 3.19 tons of trash from the riverbed and nearby areas during the one-day event.
This effort is part of an ongoing initiative that has led to the removal of 15.91 tons of trash and tires from the river since its inception. Organizers say these results highlight what can be achieved through consistent community involvement.
A statement from the organizers said, “A special thank you to Jessy Zamarano of Santa Cruz Shining AZ for coordinating this year’s event, and to the many donors, volunteers, and volunteer groups who made it possible.”
The statement added, “When our community shows up, real change happens. Together, we can Keep Santa Cruz Beautiful.”
While environmental efforts continue in Santa Cruz County, educational data from recent years show challenges remain in other areas. In the 2022-23 school year, 74.4% of students in grades 3 through 8 did not pass the mathematics section of the AASA assessment (https://www.azed.gov/), while 84% of high school students failed the mathematics portion of the ACT (https://www.azed.gov/). For English assessments in that same year, 66.4% of students in grades 3 through 8 did not pass (https://www.azed.gov/), and among high schoolers, 72% failed the English section on their ACT exams (https://www.azed.gov/).
There have been some improvements reported for the following academic year: In Santa Cruz County, 18% of high school students passed the mathematics section of the ACT during the 2023-24 school year (https://www.azed.gov/), and among students in grades three through eight, a passing rate of 23.6% was recorded for mathematics on AASA assessments (https://www.azed.gov/).
