PHOENIX – Community members and more than 100 Arizona Public Service (APS) employee volunteers teamed up with the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), Maricopa County Parks, City of Phoenix, and Liberty Wildlife to clean up lakes and public areas in celebration of Earth Day 2025.

The clean-up efforts targeted Lake Pleasant, Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, Woods Canyon Lake near Payson, and Goldwater Lake, near Prescott. While volunteers picked up litter and cleaned up trails, Liberty Wildlife spread awareness about why clean-up efforts are critical to protecting Arizona’s wildlife.

Their mission was underscored by a recent rescue story. Last year, AZGFD discovered a juvenile eagle near Willow Springs Lake entangled in a discarded fishing line. The young bird was taken to Liberty Wildlife for rehabilitation and, after recovering, was successfully released at Roosevelt Lake, where it now thrives in its natural habitat.  

APS has an Avian & Wildlife Protection Program dedicated to protecting Arizona’s wildlife around electrical equipment. Employees work year-round to ensure the safety of animals, especially raptors, which are at greater risk of coming into energized lines. APS partners with organizations like Liberty Wildlife to make sure nests or injured birds are properly cared for.

“As a hometown utility company, protecting Arizona’s wildlife and environment is engrained in our daily jobs,” said APS Avian Specialist Mathew Downs.  “With organizations like Liberty Wildlife and Arizona Game and Fish, we are making Arizona a better place to live every single day.”