MARK YOUR CALENDERS!
May 15th through the 23rd marks one of your best opportunities to give your favorite river a helping hand, through participating in a river clean up. We all hate to see trash littering the bed and banks of the rivers we paddle, and River Cleanup Week is the perfect excuse to get out there and do something about it!
If you are more of a go with the flow type of person, check out one of the river cleanups that are already organized and join the efforts. A list of these events can be found at: http://www.americaoutdoors.org/nrcw/cleanup-list.htm. However if you are a bit more ambitious, you should consider planning a new river clean up. All it takes is a little bit of organizing and a day on the river. This is a perfect opportunity for paddling clubs and college outing clubs to express your environmental ethic and general love of rivers.
American Whitewater is proud to be a sponsor of this years River Cleanup Week and look forward to becoming more involved over the coming years with this effort.
For more information, check out the following press release:
New Sponsors for National River Cleanup Week
Dates for 2004 Announced
Knoxville, TN – Three organizations recently signed on to co-sponsor National River Cleanup Week; a nationwide grassroots cleanup of waterways and shorelines. New sponsors include American Canoe Association, American Whitewater and Professional Paddlesports Association.
The event, now in its 13th year, is scheduled for May 15- 23. America Outdoors, a national association of outfitters and guides, is the national sponsor of National River Cleanup Week.
“Debris from many sources including illegal dumping and storm drain runoff end up in America’s waterways” said David Brown Executive Director of America Outdoors. “We anticipate 400 cleanup efforts in 2004,” said Brown.
NRCW works to raise the public’s awareness of the trash accumulating in waterways. Registration is free! Pre-registered groups receive NRCW logo trash bags, a packet of materials with tips on conducting and organizing their cleanup, sample press releases, and safety information to assist them in planning and implementing their cleanup endeavor.
NRCW was founded by America Outdoors in 1992. Since that first effort a total of 430,000 volunteers have participated in 4,180 cleanups covering over 88,000 miles of waterways.
NRCW is a part of Take Pride in America; other support for National River Cleanup Week is provided by the Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service. You can register online at www.nationalrivercleanup.com, or call the AO office for a registration form. 865-558-3595.
For more information visit the web site at http://www.americaoutdoors.org/nrcw/ or contact the National River Cleanup Week / America Outdoors office, via phone at 865-558-3595, or email at rivercleanup@aol.com.