Volunteers Needed for River Cleanup

The following was written by Paul Bourget, who serves on the board of the St. Croix River Association, and is the chair for the 2013 River Awareness Week:

Every July the St. Croix River Association (SCRA) sponsors River Awareness Week (RAW), which includes a number of activities designed to celebrate and conserve the St. Croix watershed.

This year RAW runs from July 13-21. The St. Croix River is one of the cleanest tributaries leading into the Mississippi, but it is also a high recreational area that accumulates a large amount of trash each year, particularly during the summer months.

For one week, the attention that you can give to the St. Croix River, and the rivers and streams that flow into it, may help to build a lasting connection.

One of the key activities during River Awareness Week focuses on shoreline clean-up, and several more volunteers are needed to make this year’s event a success.

Cleanups are already in the works for the Wild River State Park (July 13), from the Osceola Landing to William O’Brien State Park (July 14) and the Hudson Lakefront Park (afternoon of July 17).

Some of the debris that is picked up in Hudson will be used to finish a commissioned sculpture in the shape of a bass, and you are invited to watch that transformation take place on July 18. The idea is not to celebrate the trash that is collected, but to raise awareness regarding the importance of a litter-free waterway.

In addition to the cleanups, there will be a St. Croix River Sojourn on July 13, which includes a three-hour long self-guided paddle conducted by the National Park Service at the Minnesota and Wisconsin Interstate Parks.

The Hudson area will also be hosting its first RiverFest, which runs from July 13-18. More information on both of these events can be found at: www.riverawarenessweek.org.

You can also find information there on signing up for one of the cleanups underway or organizing one of your own. Whatever you choose SCRA will do its best to help promote and support your event.

Thanks for your help in keeping the St. Croix watershed flowing clean and clear.