Trash Free Ochils

05/04/2026

So big storm 🌪 Dave decided he was too busy to pay us a visit so off up the hill we went for a spring clean in Menstrie with and local volunteers.

620 peices of single-use pollution (SUP) later from our 2.6km loop we returned back to our start point to do some number crunching and tally totalling.

Most commonly found item, Aluminium alcoholic drink cans including 3 Miller beer cans we must have missed in autumn as they've definitely been hiding on the hill for well over 15 years.

Weirdest thing found, a lazer pen.

A great group enjoyed the sun ☀️ we weren't expecting, chatted everything wild garlic and justified easter eggs 🐣







📸

01/04/2026

SPRING CLEAN 📢

This Sunday come join us at 10am in Menstrie where we plan to give the community woods and trails either side of the glen some inspired spring clean love ahead of the annual duck 🦆🏁



📍 Novia Scotia Park, opposite Scout hall what3words ///warned.icicles.cats
📅 5th April
⏰10am-12.30pm

24/03/2026

Spring Clean Season is nearly here, and we’ve got a brilliant line-up of local trail cleans to help you shake off winter and get stuck into some

🧗‍♂️ Alva Glen – 2 April
First up, is leading an elite clean-up crew into the normally inaccessible parts of Alva Glen. Think ropes, teamwork, and removing the stubborn single‑use pollution that hides where most of us can’t reach.

If heights aren’t your thing, don’t worry — volunteers from local businesses and Uni's will be working trail-side to clear the rest of the glen and maybe a cheeky coffee ☕️ There’s a very limited number of spaces for this one to keep everyone safe, so drop us a message if you want in.

🐣 Menstrie – Easter Sunday
Next, we’re heading back to Menstrie after an amazing turnout in autumn. We’ll be tackling the community woods, the Glen, and anywhere else the day takes us, all in time for the annual Duck Race. Hopefully your ducks have been in winter training.

Come along, bring a pal, and help us get the looking its best for spring.

01/11/2025

Days since Menstrie trails were cleaned 0!! 🥳

This group of excellent individuals rocked up, ready to take on the liquid sunshine 🌧 🌞 of the and give the trails in Menstrie some autumn 🍂 love.

A squad of 18 people and 1 dog got a break in the clouds and were able to enjoy some blue sky's. With the group splitting into two and focusing on two routes on either side of the , they were able to remove 450 pieces of from our trails.

A random spot on the trails was a can of Miller beer. These haven't been produced in the UK since approximately early 2009, so it's been rather lonely in the woods for over 15 years.




📷 courtesy of &

27/10/2025

Who ya gonna call???



With autumn 🍂 well upon us, it's time to give the trails some pre winter love and with Halloween the day before, why not come join us for some trashbusting antics in Menstrie.

Thanks to and we'll have some new litter picking kit to put to use on the day!! 😁

Fancy dress optional 🧚‍♀️

A reminder to meet at 10am in the park in Menstrie with a couple of areas planned for some trail cleaning.

21/10/2025

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Please select all squares that contain a bin...

Oh wait, 48 bags of dog poo later it turns out the is not a bin...

15/10/2025

Trash Free Ochils

Menstrie Trail Clean – We’re Back!

It’s been almost 550 days since the very first Trash Free Ochils trail clean in Menstrie back in April 2024… but guess what? We’re back! 💚 

On Saturday 1st November 2025, we’re back at it once again to give our trails the autumn love they deserve and tackle single-use pollution together. 

📍 Meet point: The park opposite the Scout Hall, Menstrie 

⏰ Time: 10:00am sharp 

🚶‍♀️🚴‍♂️ Routes: We’ve got 2 planned routes ready to cover the main hotspots. Depending on how many amazing volunteers show up, we’ll split into teams and make an even bigger impact! 

Bring the energy, enthusiasm, and maybe a friend or three. We’ll bring the good vibes and everything you need to leave a positive trace. Together, we’ll show what the can do! 💪♻️ 

Can we up the trash pose gauntlet that set from the last trail clean

📸 courtesy of

👉 Spread the word, bring your pals, and let's get our trail clean on 🤟

 

30/08/2025

14/07/2025

Out on a morning run, ride or roam and don't have time to pick up everything you see?

On a purposeful adventure and want to contribute, but not sure where to start?

Get on the Trash Count wagon. Does it feel odd?? Yes indeedy it does feel odd to leave it where you see it but even reporting the sightings and tally count of single-use pollution you come across has a massive impact for the SUP number crunchers to smash out the stats we all love to see from

For those of you that frequent , here's a little cheat sheet of the 1km marker points so you know where to start and stop each 1km segment from the gate to the summit.

Ready, set, count!

Got ideas, of where to count or clean next in the Ochils? Drop them below—we love community-driven location ideas.

29/06/2025

The power of people...

A member of the local community flagged that the had not been used as intended.

A quick 5 minute tidy up of the area and 57 items of single use pollution removed later, including a can that had been hiding under a rock for at least 4 years and it still looked like it had only started playing hide and seek yesterday 🧐

23/06/2025

Got a spare couple of hours and looking for something productive and rewarding to do? Are you looking for a purposeful adventure during the summer holidays for the little ones?

Why not sign up and head down to the shores of North Third with the Friends of North Third and Scottish Water for a wholesome litter pick.

There's a litter pick happening this week so don't miss out.

Please see the picture for full details

05/06/2025

Well, you beautiful bunch of riders, runners, and roamers, you've been BUSY this year and we’re not even halfway through! 🚴‍♂️🏃‍♀️

Since the box was installed just over four months ago, you've helped remove and record over 305 pieces and counting of single-use pollution from the trails around . What an effort!

You’ve done such an incredible job that you've emptied our stock of trail bags… but don’t worry, HQ has already spoken to Postman Pat, supplies are on their way! 📦

So let’s keep this going, every single action makes a difference. Ash, your five pieces of SUP made a difference so the bag was worth it!👏