Volunteer river cleanup coming to Little Turkey, Turkey rivers this summer
The Iowa Project AWARE river cleanup was previously in the area in 2011, when volunteers, including these four, removed 32 tons of trash from the Little Turkey, Turkey and Volga rivers. (Photo courtesy of Iowa Project AWARE)
This July, hundreds of volunteers will pile into canoes to take on 67 miles of the Little Turkey and Turkey rivers, to scrounge from the waterway every can, lost shoe, bowling ball, tire and other trash they can find.
The effort is led by Iowa Project AWARE, an acronym for A Watershed Awareness River Expedition, a canoeing and educational event where participants paddle down a different river in Iowa every summer, removing trash along the way. This year’s Iowa Project AWARE is scheduled for July 12-17 on the Little Turkey and Turkey rivers from Gouldsburg County Park near Hawkeye down to Motor Mill near Elkader, excluding a section around Clermont.
“You never know what you are going to find, and working on a big project with people you may not know at the time creates a bond like no other. I can’t walk by a piece of trash on the ground today without picking it up, and I remind others how important it is to do the same. Project AWARE has provided an opportunity to bring our family together to share this experience, and we have created so many great memories,” stated Shawnna Larison, long-term volunteer and landowner along the Turkey River.
Larison described the event as “the RAGBRAI of river cleanups.”
“It’s an eye opener. It changes how you look at trash,” she added. “But it’s not preachy. It shows that we all can do our part.”
After a long day of cleaning the river, volunteers gather back in camp to enjoy educational programs that broaden watershed awareness and create river stewards. Topics include geology, ecology, natural resources, local history and archaeology of the watershed. The public is welcome and encouraged to bring a lawn chair and attend in-camp educational programs, which are free and require no registration. Registration is required for on-river cleanup only.
In the 22 years since this event started, over 6,700 volunteers have removed 503 tons of trash and recyclables from 1,542 miles of river, with 79 percent of all trash recycled.
This is the second time Iowa Project AWARE has been on the Little Turkey and Turkey rivers. Volunteers cleaned up an 88-mile stretch of these bodies of water, along with the Volga River, in July 2011. Over 420 participants removed 64,722 pounds, or 32 tons, of trash at the time. Ninety-six percent of the trash was recycled.
Iowa Project AWARE is open to people of all ages who enjoy spending time outdoors. You don’t need to have previous experience doing a river cleanup or be an experienced paddler. Volunteers include retirees, young adults, multi-generational families, youth groups, scout groups and more.
Whether you join for an evening program, one day on the river, or the entire weeklong expedition, Iowa Project AWARE volunteers can expect to leave with an improved understanding of the Turkey and Little Turkey rivers, the beautiful communities that call them home and a rejuvenated sense of appreciation for local watersheds.
“They try to move the cleanup around to get exposure to more people,” Larison said. “And we always send out notices to landowners that we are coming. We want to leave a positive impression.”
Registration will open on March 25 at www.iowaprojectaware.org, with limited space available. Tent camping is included with registration and a limited number of canoes are available.
Iowa Project AWARE is coordinated by N-Compass, Inc., an Iowa 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Marion. The mission of N-Compass, Inc. is to protect and improve the environment and natural resources through environmental education and community engagement. For more information about Iowa Project AWARE, to make a donation or to register for the event, visit www.iowaprojectaware.org.
