Oakland 'Trash Falcons' Turn Lake Merritt's Litter Into Art

The volunteer group is creating a trash museum to showcase their finds and promote recycling.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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A group of Oakland volunteers, known as the Trash Falcons, have been picking up litter around Lake Merritt for the past five years. They are now turning their findings into art and creating a trash museum at the Junior Center of Art and Science to showcase their work and promote recycling.

Why it matters

The Trash Falcons' efforts highlight the growing problem of litter and waste in urban areas, as well as the power of community-driven initiatives to make a tangible impact. Their creative approach to addressing this issue is inspiring and demonstrates how art can be used to raise awareness and drive positive change.

The details

The Trash Falcons museum features roughly 175 of the most interesting items the group has collected from in and around Lake Merritt. The volunteers, who meet every Sunday rain or shine, have removed an average of 15.6 tons of trash per year. While most of the collected items are recycled, the pieces that stand out are given a second life as part of the art exhibit.

  • The Trash Falcons started their volunteer efforts five years ago during the pandemic.
  • The trash museum runs through March 6, and the art exhibit will be available until April.

The players

Anne McSilver

An artist with the Trash Falcons who says the group has taught her to look for the treasure in the trash and embrace "radical optimism".

Richard Shirk

The co-founder of the Trash Falcons, who says the group decided to take action when city workers were on furlough and the pandemic was raging.

Rachel Beth Egenhoefer

The chief curator of the Trash Falcons' trash museum, who hopes the exhibit will inspire people to question the objects they keep and toss.

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What they’re saying

“It's so easy to get frustrated by people who throw away plastic forks, plastic flossers for your teeth. We find so much. But Trash Falcons has taught me to look for the treasure in the trash, and we call it radical optimism.”

— Anne McSilver, Artist (nbcbayarea.com)

“It was really terrible. We decided someone should do something about that, and we are someone.”

— Richard Shirk, Co-founder (nbcbayarea.com)

“I would hope they would see the fun, the creativity, the quirkiness; start to question the objects that we keep, that we toss.”

— Rachel Beth Egenhoefer, Chief Curator (nbcbayarea.com)

What’s next

The trash museum runs through March 6, and the art exhibit will be available until April, giving visitors the opportunity to explore the Trash Falcons' creative work and be inspired to reduce waste in their own lives.

The takeaway

The Trash Falcons' efforts demonstrate how community-driven initiatives can make a meaningful impact on environmental issues, and how art can be a powerful tool for raising awareness and promoting positive change. Their project is a testament to the power of creativity, optimism, and collective action in addressing the challenges of urban waste and litter.