Young Man River
Chad Pregracke, founder and president of Living Lands & Waters.
What is the strangest thing you've ever pulled out of the water? -- Aviva, Washington, D.C.
We've found a prosthetic leg, mannequin hand, bowling balls and pins, messages in bottles, and an easy-rider helmet.
Going back to the same parts of the river(s) over and over, doesn't your work seem futile? And if it does, what gets you through? -- K.P. Klaus, Perryville, Mo.
On Aug. 28, we coordinated with other organizations and businesses for an Xstream Cleanup in the Illinois/Iowa Quad Cities. We had over 1,300 volunteers participate and the age of some of the items they found was unbelievable. Someone found an old bottle that had 1908 on it and some of the washing machines found were in style in the '60s or '70s. Some of the trash we are cleaning has been there for decades and no one has ever taken care of it. We know we are making a difference because in some communities the garbage is not being replaced, and that's one of the reasons we began the Big River Educational Workshops to provide hands-on classes taught by experts on ecology, history, and commerce on the river in those places.
We also have the Adopt-a-Mississippi Mile program, where people become stewards of the riverfront property that they adopt. This is another way in which ordinary people can get involved to keep the riverbanks free of debris.
Cleanup of Mississippi River in East Moline.
Photo: Laura Lopez.
Thank you for taking action. Aside from removing the eyesore of the trash, what ecological impact does your work have? Do you also measure contamination from sources other than trash during your work? -- Jak P., Oakland, Calif.
Believe it or not, this didn't start out as an environmental project. I began the Mississippi River Beautification and Restoration Project in 1997 after I got sick of seeing the visible pollution along the river. In 1998, we changed the name to Living Lands & Waters to allow us to add other programs under our organization.
First and foremost, however, I believe that getting people involved hands-on by cleaning trash in the river environment gives them personal exposure to the river. Some of them are there for the first time -- even though they live in river communities. They get excited about the river and I think they establish a connection to it and many of them feel that they have more of a stake in it after the cleanups. Also, it's grassroots -- it's a sense of a community coming together to make a visible change. We've had about 15,000 volunteers over the years. I think that's 15,000 steps in the right direction. Maybe some volunteers will be inspired and will go home and report raw sewage dumping or write to their congresspeople.
We have a lot going on at any given moment and we have partnered with groups in the past and will continue to work with others on conservation, public education, and sustainable design. You can see what we have going on right now at our website.
What methods have you found are most successful in really getting a community involved in river cleanups in large numbers? -- Jim Fraser, Medford, Mass.
I have found that the most effective approach is making personal contact with individuals. We visit businesses along the river, introduce ourselves, and hand out fliers. Once you develop a core base of people from target groups such as civic groups, clubs, and other community groups, they help motivate people through newsletters or word of mouth. Each cleanup location may have a different method of promoting the cleanups. Publicizing it in media outlets is also really helpful. Point out to the media how communities benefit by organizing together to do something positive.
Where do you see your organization five years from now? -- James Shaffer-Bauck, Eastsound, Wash.
I see our organization still working hard, but with even more accomplishments and results on different rivers.
Where do you see yourself professionally five years from now? Still living somewhere on water? -- Alison Entler, Davenport, Iowa
Yes.
Do you ever travel around to talk about and present your organization's initiatives? -- Tricia Grieef, Calgary, Alberta
Yes, I've traveled all over to talk about LL&W, including South Africa for the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
Do you travel to Minnesota? If yes, when will you be here next? -- Lori Askelin, Roseville, Minn.
We were in Minnesota in July for both a river cleanup and a Big River Education Workshop. On Tuesday, we were there for a buckthorn removal and we'll be back around June of 2005. What, you didn't see the barge with heaps of trash powered by a tug with a kick-butt paint job?
What kind of fuel does your barge run on? Secondly, do you think that switching a diesel boat to run on veggie oil would decrease the pollution going into the air and river? -- Ben Martin, Wallingford, Conn.
We're not set up for veggie oil. However, I have run up to 20 percent biodiesel before, but nobody would give me a straight answer about whether it would void my engine warranties, so I just used a 6 percent blend.
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