Make a difference on the Mississippi

Cleanup for a cause on June 19

UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER WATERSHED – June 4, 2010 – The Mississippi River watershed is a migration corridor for millions of waterfowl every year, as well as an American icon. The river's serenity and life-supporting capabilities go far beyond waterfowl, shorebirds and wildlife, stretching into the cities and the lives of those people who have made its muddy banks their home. Now it's time to give something back to this great watershed.

On June 19, DU is joining forces with a nonprofit organization called Living Lands & Waters (LL&W) for a massive river cleanup. Through its various programs and initiatives, LL&W strives to aid in the protection, preservation and restoration of the natural environment surrounding the nation's major rivers and watersheds—in this case, the Mississippi.

The event, called the Great Mississippi River Cleanup, is the first-ever simultaneous one-day cleanup of the Upper Mississippi River watershed, stretching from St. Paul, Minn., to St. Louis, Mo. The cleanup, which is open to anyone interested in participating, will take place in nearly 30 total cities in five states along the river, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. (See the full list of cities.) Participants will remove trash and debris from the floodplains and wetlands bordering the river.

LL&W was immediately interested in teaming with DU because hunters boat the river on a regular basis and have a major stake in its conditions. This cleanup effort also requires as many boats as possible (preferably camouflage), which is a resource many hunters can provide.

"A big cleanup like this is going to require lots of volunteers, and it's definitely going to require a lot of boats," said Tammy Becker, LL&W program manager. "We thought about who's out on the river, and then we thought of Ducks Unlimited."

Chad Pregracke, who founded LL&W back in 1998, echoed Becker's sentiments: "Over the last 13 years since I started Living Lands & Waters, I've worked with thousands of volunteers, many of them duck hunters. They are out on the river more than any other group, so they know the river well. And because of their love of hunting and the environment, they've been some of the most enthusiastic about stewardship of the river. For a cleanup of this magnitude, we could simply not do it without DU members' help."

A typical cleanup lasts about four hours and consists of volunteers on boats scouring the rivers for everything from tires to plastic bottles to appliances. Once collected, the trash is dumped at a central point along the shoreline. LL&W later salvages any recyclable materials before sending the remaining refuse to be disposed of properly.

DU CEO Dale Hall said DU's participation in the cleanup was an easy decision. "DU staff, members and volunteers all realize that it is our responsibility to give back to the resource, and this Upper Mississippi River cleanup is a perfect opportunity for us to show our commitment to that responsibility. Not only is the river important to waterfowl, but it provides recreational, economic and wildlife benefits that can't be overestimated. A cleaner river will translate into positives across the board."

Interested volunteers and boaters should register at the LL&W website. DU supporters can indicate their affiliation at that time.