Happy Earth Day!
For those of you heading to cleanups – on water or land – have a great day and thank you! Special thanks to SOLVE for coordinating hundreds of cleanups around Earth Week, and for those paddlers doing river based cleanups this weekend on the Willamette at Cathedral Park, Molalla, and Umatilla.
We Love Clean Rivers specializes in river cleanups, and celebrates the idea of ‘turning restoration into recreation.’ Our 20 year test-case and home river has been the incomparable Clackamas, Portland’s most popular wild and scenic river and drinking water to almost half a million people.
Through 18 “Down the River Cleanup” events on the Clackamas, 4,801 volunteers worked over 20,000 hours to recover 80,446 pounds of trash and recyclables. Thanks again to the many hands (and boats, paddles, and “Stash the Trash” bags!) who made it all happen.
Here’s how you can join the fun in 2022:
Register for the 19th Anniversary ‘Down the River Cleanup’ on the lower Clackamas river Sunday September 11th. Paddle your own boat, lead a group, or volunteer for riparian/land support. After the cleanup, join us for a free cookout with live music, auction and raffle.
Become a River Ambassador on the lower Clackamas. For the third summer, volunteers at riverside kiosks provide stewardship, safety, and recreational information on peak use weekends. This is a great opportunity for team building, service learning, and wildlife viewing. A very direct way to support our parks and rivers. Sign up here.
Check out the updated Down the River Cleanup map, and stay tuned for a new ‘Clackamas Water Trail’ map. Led by the Clackamas River Water Providers with support from We Love Clean Rivers, the map highlights recreational opportunities, public lands, and conservation areas.
We are also exploring ways to support stewardship of other popular river sections in Oregon, and welcome your involvement as we grow. To learn more about events, service opportunities, and organizational needs, please join us for an informational video call on May 3rd, 2022 at 6:30pm.
Thanks again for your support of We Love Clean Rivers, and we hope to see you on the river soon!
