Since March of 2023, non-profit organization PATH  (Preserving Arizona Through Hiking) has made impacts on hiking and walking trails in the greater Phoenix area.

Founder Ria Lasota ‘24, along with the help of over a dozen peers, has cleaned up over six major trails since the groups inception, including Papago Park, Dreamy Draw and Murphy’s Bridal Path. 

Meeting once a month, the organization has stuck true to its mission and made significant impacts in the community.

PATH’s mission is simple: “A group of teenagers hiking for a purpose: to remove trash from Arizona’s parks and trails.” 

Lasota says that the idea to found the club began after a hike of her own on Piestewa Peak. “On the side of the trail I saw Gatorade bottles and wrappers everywhere and was very disturbed.” Since then, she and the organization have consistently gathered over five trash bags full of trash during each meeting. 

The organization has had the opportunity to bring many teens of different ages together, coming from four major high schools: Xavier College Preparatory, Brophy College Preparatory, Sunnyslope and Arcadia High School. 

Vice president of PATH, Payton Lindley ‘24, says, “Something I love is the fact that PATH brings people of similar interests together. It’s truly special to see so many people come out to the hikes and work toward the common goal of keeping the areas around us clean.”

The organization has not only had an impact on the community, but also its members.

“PATH has taught me the importance of taking action when I see injustices in the world. I have learned to be proactive when I see an issue arise, and to not be a bystander,” Lasota says. 

Lindley says that “PATH has taught me that the smallest acts of service can have a major impact on the community and environment around you. I have also seen positive impacts on the environment through this support system as more and more people have the urge to keep our trails and mountains cleaner.” 

Fellow PATH member Hayden Penn ‘24 has similar experiences with PATH, but as a Brophy student he sheds light on his unique angle of experiences. 

“PATH has offered me something completely different from the typical philanthropic efforts I do at Brophy or during the weekends. It offers me the opportunity to be active while doing something that feels fulfilling.”

Participating in the impactful coed organization, Penn says that PATH has also allowed him to strengthen bonds with fellow Xavier students and also build new relationships with people that he did not know priorly, while holding a common goal. 

The non-profit organization is ever evolving. Having built up a sizable group of hikers, its impacts have spread from local to regional. 

On the future of the club, Lasota says, “PATH is working to expand its impact. We have had the ability to work with park rangers, and plan to incorporate them more in the future. We have collaborated with PHX Teens and are also working with the City of Phoenix to create a teen stewardship program.”

Conserving the environment and landscape of Arizona is ever important to the organization’s members. They recognize that now more than ever there is a large need to protect the planet and keep the earth clean. 

As Arizona natives, PATH members all have a dedication to the preservation of their home, and therefore have an extreme aspiration to take care of it. 

Ria Lasota and her team hope to see a clean and happy world, and have an ambition to spread PATH beyond just Phoenix.