If you are regular reader of this blog, I trust you care about the Shiawassee River. How then do you show it? Hopefully by taking part in the annual clean-up organized by the Friends of the Shiawassee River. This year’s activity is scheduled for August 8 from 9 a.m. to noon.
The natural resource centerpiece of our community is the Shiawassee River. The River names our county, ties our communities together, and decorates most of our parks. The least we can do to pay it back is to clean-up the litter, tires, and other debris that end up in the River. Besides, the clean up is a fun way to get together with friends and enjoy a day outside.
Bring along your co-workers, service club, extended family, scout troop, or other group to which you belong. Working together on a community service project builds a stronger sense of team and pride in any group. Plan ahead by letting Heidi Frei of the Friends ( hfrei@TNC.org ) know you have a group of six or more and she will give you your very own spot in the River to care for. It will help if you can bring along an old canoe or other small watercraft to cart the trash you collect.
Learn more about the clean up at the website of the Friends of the Shiawassee River (click here). Here you will find more details on the logistics and what to bring. There is even a registration form for groups.
This will be the 12th annual clean-up, which carries on an even older tradition of Jim Miner and other community leaders who organized river clean-ups in the 1970s. As a youth, I helped with these clean ups and it was a formative experience in helping me to appreciate the place in which we live. It continues to be a great way to involve kids, though be sure to team them up with adults and have a parent sign the release form available on the website.
An added bonus for youth, and other curious participants in this year’s clean-up, will be the several interesting educational programs that will take place after the clean-up at the River Celebration at the Mitchell Amphitheater in downtown Owosso. There will be a chance to learn about what lives in the River, other ways to help keep the River clean, and how to have fun on the River. Again, more fun for all.
The clean-up has always been an example of community collaboration, not only in terms of volunteers coming together, but also with the help of local governments (notably the City of Owosso, the City of Corunna, and the Shiawassee County Health Department) and local businesses. Once again, Mancino’s will be providing food, Gilbert’s will be providing paint to cover up graffiti, and Chemical Bank will be helping to provide a free t-shirt to all participants. In addition, the clean-up has become so well structured and run (thanks to Heidi Frei and other key volunteers) that they have been able to qualify for a grant from the Great Lakes Commission to help underwrite the activity.
If you can’t make the August 8 date, or you really enjoy the Shiawassee River, you take place in the first-ever clean-up of the River in Chesaning on August 15. Send me an e-mail for more information (tomcook.cff@me.com).
Thank you for helping to keep the Shiawassee River clean.
River Clean-Up
Monday, July 13, 2009
