3
Cahaba River,
near Birmingham
SPECIAL THANKS TO
COSHATT'S SOD FARM
PHOTOS BY JAY PARKER
20 years = 15.5 million
RENEW OUR RIVERS VOLUNTEERS KEEPING TRASH FROM WATERWAYS
In February, Renew Our Rivers kicked off its
20th year of lake and river cleanups. Thirty
cleanups are planned in 2019 across Alabama.
Renew Our Rivers began in the spring of
2000 with Gene Phifer's vision to clean a
stretch of the Coosa River near Alabama
Power's Plant Gadsden, where he worked.
Since then, about 120,000 volunteers have
joined the effort and collected more than
15.5 million pounds of trash and debris from
waterways across the Southeast.
"As we begin the 20th year of Renew
Our Rivers, it's time to celebrate this
environmental success story. And what better
way than with more cleanups," said Mike
Clelland, an Environmental Affairs specialist
who helps coordinate the cleanups.
Employees, volunteers and other community
partners assist at every Renew Our Rivers
cleanup. In 2018 alone, 4,000 volunteers
by Justin Averette
