SHORELINES

21 Shor e l i n e S | 2014 Vol :4 stewardship team focused on expanding existing partnerships with conservation- focused groups like B.A.S.S. Nation and the Alabama Bass Trail – especially among their youth members. "Both groups are focused on expanding youth interest in fishing," Clelland said. "And for both that means teaching conservation values through programs like Renew Our Rivers." Clelland said Alabama Bass Trail students kicked off the 2014 season last January with the first-ever Cleanup Classic on Lay Lake. Cleanups on Alabama Power lakes helped Bass Trail student teams gain conservation hours needed to qualify for grants. Clelland and the stewardship team later hosted students on summer break for a workshop building fish habitat devices. Also in 2014, the Alabama Power Foundation launched "Students to Stewards," a new conservation education program. Through a competitive application process, Students to Stewards awarded grants to 25 schools across the state to support the development of conservation initiatives and the expansion of outdoor classrooms. Since 2000, Renew Our Rivers has partnered with schools and teachers across the state to distribute more than 50,000 "Message in the Bottle" coloring books to educate students about conservation and environmental stewardship. For more information about Renew Our Rivers cleanups, please visit RenewOurRivers.com or go to AlabamaPower.com and click on "Lakes & Recreation." – BR ANDON GLOVER FIRST COMMUNITY CLEANUP: 2000 SOUTHEAST STATE IMPACT: ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, MISSISSIPPI TOTAL TR ASH REMOVED: MORE THAN 13.5 MILLION POUNDS AL ABAMA TR ASH REMOVED: MORE THAN 11 MILLION POUNDS AL ABAMA VOLUNTEERS: MORE THAN 70,000 2014 TR ASH REMOVED: MORE THAN 500,000 POUNDS 2014 VOLUNTEERS: MORE THAN 14,000 SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2000 RENEW OUR RIVERS HAS REMOVED MORE THAN 13.5 MILLION POUNDS OF TRASH. THAT IS ABOUT EQUAL TO THE WEIGHT OF: 38 LOCOMOTIVES 54 BLUE WHALES 45,000 NCAA DIVISION 1 LINEMEN OR OR

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