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Ryland Hosenfeld sits with bags of trash he collected.

Courtesy photo

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Ryland Hosenfeld is shown with his mother, Kathy Kirby.

Courtesy photo

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Friends and family pick up trash in memory of Ryland Hosenfeld, who started SLC Trash Collective.

Courtesy photo

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Darrel L. Hammon

Courtesy photo

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Ryland Hosenfeld enjoyed playing soccer and guitar, hiking, skiing, scuba diving and traveling. At first, he wasn’t fond of hiking, but he later found joy summiting King’s Peak three times, hiking the Wasatch Mountains and spending a lot of time in Big Cottonwood Canyon, around the Great Salt Lake and in other surrounding areas.

During his hiking adventures, Ryland discovered that other hikers had discarded trash everywhere and he began picking it up and trying to clean up the trails. As a result, he started the SLC Trash Collective and hauled out hundreds of pounds of trash bag by bag. Soon, he recruited his family and friends to help him.

McKenzie Hosenfeld, Ryland’s sister, described Ryland as an adrenaline junky who filled his life with adventure, had a wicked sense of humor and showed a lot of compassion for others.

“While Ryland spent so much of his life admiring the beauty of the world, he was also exposed to ugly bits as well, one of them being litter,” she said. “Ryland saw litter as not only a visual degradation of nature but also as a huge threat to the environment. He began picking up trash as he hiked and created an Instagram page named “slctrashcollective” to document his trash collection.”

During his short life, Ryland battled severe migraines and suffered from depression and mental health issues. Ultimately, he took his own life, which left an enormous hole in the lives of his family and friends.

“Ry’s death left us destroyed and desperately missing him,” McKenzie Hosenfeld said. “We had so much grief and sadness and didn’t know how to hold it all. We felt that by picking up trash, we could focus our love on him in a way that honored his life and legacy and contribute to his mission and stay emotionally afloat.”

Ryland passed away on Nov. 3, 2022, and in May 2023, his family was able to find his password so they could continue to update his Instagram page. “Once we found his password, I was able to update his Instagram page,” said Kathy Kirby, Ryland’s mother. “I try to not only chronicle our litter cleanup but also share information about mental health awareness and suicide prevention.”

Kirby felt they could do more. “Ryland’s ultimate goal was to bring beauty to our great state,” she said. “We wanted to continue the ripple Ryland had made with his trash efforts while sharing candidly about some of his struggles.”

From 2019 to 2022, before Ryland passed away, he had collected 641 pounds of trash. Since then, his family and friends have continued picking up trash, adding to Ryland’s initial total. “We now have officially collected 2,223 pounds and continue to add to that total almost every day,” Kirby said. “Some days we pick up as little as ¼ pound and some days up to 54 pounds.”

While picking up trash has been a focus of the SLC Trash Collective, Kirby and her family have been inspired to reach out to others. “We want to help and care for others and not to take life for granted,” she said. “We want people to know they are loved and that tomorrow is not promised.”

Two years ago, the SLC Trash Collective partnered with Friends of the Great Salt Lake, which allowed them to set up an information table in Ryland’s memory at its annual International Coastal Cleanup Day held in September each year. There, Kirby and others shared pamphlets and other information from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

Kirby often shares Ryland’s story with people she encounters and has felt it helps. “One person reached out to me and told me that they were not in a good headspace and needed my help,” she said. “Another recently lost a loved one very close to her to suicide. Because I’ve shared with her, she felt comfortable reaching out to me in her time of need.”

At times, though, the conversations they have had with others have been awkward, but it is these very conversations that are important in lessening the stigma of suicide. “If we don’t share our experiences with others, we feel alone,” Kirby said. “However, if we share, we may connect with others, helping them feel heard.”

People all over the world follow slctrashcollective and post things on their social media pages to show support for what Kirby and her family are doing to keep Ryland’s legacy alive. One person named Melanie, who Kirby had met just one time before, posted, “I took a walk around the block a couple of weeks ago and took a small trash bag. It wasn’t a lot, but I did it for you.”

One day in late January 2024, Kirby was going through an emotionally challenging day, but she still went on her walk and picked up trash, which she calls trash walking. While walking, she had a distinct feeling that she should walk through a park she normally does not go to. Then something happened that made her day.

“I trash walked and circled the pond two times,” Kirby said. “A little boy around 3 years old was walking with his mom. He stopped in his tracks, turned to me and began talking about reindeer and dirty snow. I interacted with him, and then he ran over to me and gave me a hug around my legs! I needed that hug!”

One way Kirby has found that is making a difference is talking to people about Ryland’s struggles. In February 2024, she went to the Utah State Capitol Day with American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

“There were some tears shed, but it was mostly a day that felt like a family reunion,” Kirby said. “The people with us all have been affected by suicide and were showing our support and advocating for (House Bill) 71 specifically. We heard stories of hope and healing.”

Through AFSP, Kirby has also attended various community events where she helps at the AFSP table, handing out pamphlets and sharing resources with the public. Soon, she will be expanding her influence.

“I am also in the process of training with AFSP through a program called Healing Conversations, which is a program that connects with other mothers who have lost their children to suicide,” she said.

Some people may ask how they can help. “One way people can help is grab a trash bag and start joining the cleanup efforts wherever they are,” Kirby said. “They can send a photo to Ry’s Instagram page. We just need more people doing good and connecting with others through collecting trash.”

The future of the SLC Trash Collective has a two-fold mission. First, they wish to continue Ryland’s mission of litter reduction and beautifying Utah’s landscapes, and second, bring attention to suicide awareness and prevention.

“We want people to have resources if they personally are struggling with depression and suicidal ideation or if they are worried about people around them,” McKenzie Hosenfeld said. “We want people to know that they are important, they are loved, and there are resources to help them when in crisis. We want them to stay.”

Kirby message is clear about how to help those who are experiencing the same struggles as Ryland by sometimes having those awkward conversations.

“We need to ask if they’re considering taking their life. Sometimes we have to ask more than once,” Kirby said. “Checking in, connecting with people, and sending a note, a silly meme, showing up at their door, inviting them places, or doing anything so that they don’t feel alone in their struggles or battles. We all crave and need connection with others, but if we’re in a deep dark place, the last thing we want to do is to reach out with the possibility of being snubbed or rejected. But what if your small actions could convince a friend or loved one to stay and to seek the help they need?”

Kirby and the family just want to help others through what they are doing. “I can’t bring my son back,” she said, “but maybe by sharing with others, we can be more aware of those we encounter who may be struggling and get them the resources they need.”

If anyone would like to help with or donate to the SLC Trash Collective, they can connect to Kirby through Instagram (slctrashcollective), by email at kathykenzry@hotmail.com or by phone at 801-608-2984.