SHORELINES

26 Shor e l i n e S | 2015 Vol :3 river for many years, they become aware of how long even a little bit of trash can impact a river system." Phillips said her students leave Renew Our Rivers with a greater understanding about their role in the community. "Every year after the cleanup, the students often say they didn't realize how much trash was in the lake and what kind of trash is out there," Phillips said. "It causes them to become more conscientious of where their trash goes." Since 2005, the Lake Demopolis cleanup has attracted hundreds of volunteers who have helped remove about 375,000 pounds of trash from the area. And for just as long, students from the surrounding areas have volunteered their Saturday mornings to make a difference. Clelland said students, like the ones at Demopolis High School, need to continue to convey to others the importance of student involvement in projects like Renew Our Rivers. "It's important to get the next generation involved, to help create a vision and a mindset of the importance of keeping our aquatic ecosystems clean, for all things living." Similarly, students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham's (UAB) Honors College recently took part in a Renew Our Rivers cleanup at Valley Creek. Each year, the Honors College hosts a retreat for new students to the program. After seeing the impact of Renew Our Rivers Above: Photo by wynTer Byrd — Students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Honors College volunteer in the Valley Creek cleanup.

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