mountains reflected in still water at dusk

Cleanups · Planting · Water Testing

Keep Our Rivers Clean — River Conservation in Missoula, MT

Wildrye is a volunteer-powered watershed council. We pick up trash, plant streamside trees and test the water, so the rivers stay good for fish, kids and everyone in between.

See Cleanup Dates Ways To Give

Gear providedNo experience needed

Six Ways To Get Your Boots Wet

Pick what you enjoy. Every outing has a leader, the gear and a plan.

River CleanupsBags, gloves and a stretch of riverbank.

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Tree PlantingWillows and cottonwoods along the banks.

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Water MonitoringMonthly creek sampling, training included.

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Weed PullsClear invasive plants so natives return.

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School Field TripsCreek days for classes, grades 3 to 12.

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Support Our WorkGifts buy trees, tools and test kits.

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a person in waders standing in a river with a fishing rod

About Wildrye

Started By Anglers With Trash Bags

In 2006 a handful of Missoula anglers got tired of wading past tires and shopping carts, so they spent a Saturday hauling them out. Twenty years later Wildrye is a watershed council of volunteers, landowners, teachers and scientists working on the creeks and rivers that run through town. We do the hands-on work, share what we learn about water quality, and speak up for the streams at public meetings.

✓Volunteer-led, with a small staff
✓Work done with landowners' permission
✓Water data shared with the public

Talk To Our Team

Since 2006Caring For Local Streams

MonthlyCleanups, Spring To Fall

Ages 8+With An Adult

GearProvided Every Time

Second Saturday · April To October · 9am–Noon

Join A River Cleanup

Each month we meet at a different stretch of river. We bring bags, gloves, grabbers and coffee; you bring sturdy shoes. Sign up and we'll send this month's meeting spot.

Get The Meeting Spot

We email the parking area and a map the week before.

Gear Up

Gloves, bags, grabbers and a short safety talk.

Clean A Stretch

Small crews, each with a leader and a section of bank.

Coffee After

We weigh what came out and say thanks.

volunteers bagging trash in a grassy field at sunset

April to OctoberPark and trail cleanups

a watering can watering a newly planted sapling

Spring and fallStreamside planting

a volunteer in waders and gloves pulling a face mask out of the water

Waders and a leaderTrash out of the water

a parent and two children in waders exploring a creek with a net

School yearCreek field trips

Spring: Planting

Willows and cottonwoods go in along eroding banks while the ground is soft.

Summer: Monitoring

Volunteers check water temperature and clarity when low flows stress the fish.

Fall: The Big Cleanup

Low water exposes a year of trash. October's cleanup is our biggest of the year.

Winter: Classrooms

Our educators visit schools, and volunteers plan next year's projects.

Restore

Plant banks, pull invasive weeds and clear trash from the water.

Monitor

Test the water every month and publish what we find.

Teach

Bring students and families to the creek to learn how it works.

Advocate

Speak for the streams when the city and county make plans.

I came to one cleanup to get my kids off screens. Now we have our own stretch of creek, and my daughter knows more about stoneflies than I do.

JennaVolunteer family · Rattlesnake

Wildrye's water monitors trained our seventh graders to sample the creek behind the school. They still talk about the day they found a caddisfly.

DanielMiddle school science teacher

I've fished these rivers for thirty years. Planting willows on a bank I used to wade past felt like paying a little of that back.

DaleTree planting volunteer

Ways To Give

Put Trees In The Ground

Volunteers give the time. Gifts pay for the young trees, tools, test kits and the staff who organize every outing. Let us know what you'd like to give and we'll reply with a secure payment link, or ask about sponsoring a cleanup with your business.

✓Receipts emailed for every gift
✓Business cleanup sponsorships
✓Gifts of tools and waders welcome

Give To The River Fund

Do I need experience or my own gear?

No. We provide gloves, bags and grabbers, and a leader shows you what to do. Wear sturdy shoes you don't mind getting wet.

Can kids come?

Yes — volunteers 8 and over are welcome with an adult. Teens 16 and up can volunteer on their own with a signed permission form.

Do you work in the water?

Only in shallow, slow water, and only with waders and a trained leader. Most cleanup work happens on the bank.

Can my business or class book a project?

Yes. We plan half-day projects for groups of 8 to 40, from cleanups to tree planting. Send a note with a few dates.

Is my gift tax-deductible?

Yes, as the law allows — Wildrye is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Every gift gets an emailed receipt for your records.

Sign Up Or Say Hello

Tell us what you'd like to help with and we'll send the next date and meeting spot. Questions about a group project or a gift are welcome too.