The Great Rivers Greenway District, in partnership with the River des Peres Watershed Coalition, Missouri Stream Team, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, and the City of St. Louis, is inviting area residents to join them in their fight to clean up the rivers and creeks within the River des Peres watershed. On Saturday, Oct. 21, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the five organizations are sponsoring the 15th-annual River des Peres Trash Bash, a family friendly event being held with the goal of improving area neighborhoods and water quality in St. Louis City and St. Louis County.
Volunteers of all ages are needed to clean litter and trash from several sites, including Gravois Creek, Deer Creek, Engelholm Creek, McKenzie Creek, River des Peres and the Mississippi River.
Registration will take place from 8:00 to 8:45 a.m. at three locations – Willmore Park, located on the east side of the River des Peres and just north of the intersection of Hampton and Gravois Avenues in St. Louis City; the Heman Park Community Center, located at 975 Pennsylvania in University City; and the University of Missouri-St. Louis Urban Ecology Trailer, located at the South Campus on East Drive. Free breakfast will be provided at each of the three locations.
The clean-up will last from 9:00 a.m. to noon with a celebration and appreciation pizza lunch at Willmore Park from noon to 2 p.m. Volunteers will also be rewarded with musical entertainment and prizes for the “best” trash finds in three categories—most expensive, largest, and “weirdest” trash.
Volunteers at the 2016 Trash Bash removed 12 tons of trash from streams and creeks within the River des Peres Watershed in only three hours. The final tally included 161 tires, 1.4 tons of scrap metal, 1.3 tons of recycling material and 5 tons of trash. Long-time volunteers, as well as new faces from across the region, are encouraged at this year’s Trash Bash to work together to improve the River des Peres watershed.
For more information or to register in advance, visit www.riverdesperes.org or call River des Peres Watershed Coalition at 314-603-8834.
About Great Rivers Greenway:
Great Rivers Greenway is a regional parks and trails district created by a vote of the people to connect St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. We are making the St. Louis region an even better place to live by connecting our region with greenways to conserve natural resources, enhance our economy and improve our quality of life with more transportation and recreation options. For more information, visit www.GreatRiversGreenway.org.
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For more information, contact:
Julie Hauser
(314) 436-9090