Volunteers have removed bags of garbages in one of the US’s dirtiest rivers, the Tennessee River. In a series of clean-up drives, they accumulated over 10,000 pounds of trash. Their efforts have made a big difference to the environment.
Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful
Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful initiated the campaign. It is a nonprofit organization that seeks to educate and inspire people to take action to create a clean, healthy, beautiful Tennessee River for generations to come.
According to their official website, they host river clean-ups and other programs to achieve their mission. They wrote, “[We want] to show our volunteers the impact litter has on our waterways and what they can do to make a difference.”
The clean-up started in October. The national nonprofit Living Lands and Waters aided the group and lent five 30-ft workboats. With their support, the group had successfully taken out 4,811 pounds of trash.
10,000 pounds of trash
When the year 2021 started, 25 volunteers participated in a series of clean-up drives and removed 9,208 pounds of dirt. And just this week, the team has hit their 10,000-pound mark. They proudly announced this on their social media account.
“We hit the the 10,000 lb. mark for 2021 thanks to University of Tennessee Knoxville volunteers nudging us over with 924 lbs yesterday. We’re excited to be well on our way to our 100,000 lb. goal for the year!”
Furthermore, they hope to achieve their 100,000 pounds goal for the year 2021. But, they could not reach this without the help of local partners and volunteers.
“That’s how the change for our river will happen,” said Kathleen Gibi, the executive director of Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful. “Through local partners and individuals who are eager about taking ownership to protect and improve their beautiful river community.”
They plan to host another clean-up drive this coming April.