CONFLUENCE TRASH BASH SET FOR MARCH 15, 2014 Volunteers needed for 6th Annual River Cleanup of rivers and creeks that lie within the Confluence Greenway

The Great Rivers Greenway District and Trailnet are inviting area residents to join them in their fight to clean up the rivers and creeks within the Confluence Greenway and the Missouri/Mississippi River watersheds. The Confluence Trash Bash will be held Saturday, March 15, 2014, starting at 8:30 a.m. Past cleanup efforts have removed 5,000 tires and more than 61 tons of trash and scrap from area streams and rivers.

Volunteers can choose from four starting locations:

• Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, 10950 Riverview Drive, St. Louis, MO 63137;
• Bangert Park, 275 S New Florissant Road, Florissant, MO 63031;
• Bridgeton Municipal Athletic Complex (BMAC) 13212 Ferguson Lane, Bridgeton, MO 63044; or
• Creve Coeur Lake, 13725 Marine Avenue, Maryland Heights, MO 63043
  
  

Specific cleanup sites will then be assigned near each of the starting locations. At noon, participants will return to their respective starting location for a celebration and free lunch. Prizes will be awarded to volunteers who find the weirdest, biggest and most expensive trash that morning.

Individual volunteers, civic groups and youth organizations are encouraged to volunteer. No experience is required. Volunteers will be provided a free t-shirt, bags, and gloves, courtesy of the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD).

“Volunteers should plan on working hard, having fun, getting wet and dirty, and leaving with the sense that they’ve contributed to the environment and to our local water quality in a very significant way,” said Dona Schuh-Anderson, partner for MSD.

The Confluence Trash Bash is sponsored by Great Rivers Greenway, Missouri American Water, Trailnet, Missouri Stream Team, and MSD. Hosting locations are the Cities of Bridgeton and Florissant.  Other sponsoring organizations include the St. Louis Audubon Society, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri River Relief, St. Louis County, and the cities of St. Louis, Creve Coeur, Glendale, Jennings, Maryland Heights, Northwoods and Overland. 

For more information, call Dona Schuh-Anderson at MSD at 314-436-8708, or visit www.greatriversgreenway.org.  To register online, visit http://www.stlmsd.com/educationoutreach/msdgreeninitiatives/trashbash.   

About Great Rivers Greenway:

The Great Rivers Greenway District was created by a vote of the people in 2000 with the goal of making the St. Louis region a better place to live. The public organization is carrying this goal by creating community connections with the River Ring, an interconnected system of trails and greenways. The District also works to provide transportation alternatives, preserve nature, improve health and increase the economic vitality of the region. Great Rivers Greenway’s district includes St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. For more information, visit www.greatriversgreenway.org.