SHORELINES

25 Shor e l i n e S | 2016 Vol :2 For Jon Lambert and his two sons, taking part in the annual Renew Our Rivers cleanup on Lake Jordan has become a family tradition. They have been among the earliest volunteers on the lake for every cleanup for nearly 15 years. "I make a point to come back every year because the lake is important to me," said Ken Lambert, who drives three hours from his Huntsville home for the event. "The lake is a place that I've visited my whole life, and I want to keep it clean for generations to come. Renew Our Rivers is important because it's the driving catalyst that gets people working together for a great cause." Chris Lambert agrees with his brother, adding their family believes giving back to the community is their responsibility. "Our father always taught us that if you are going to use something, always make sure you leave it in better condition than you found it," Chris said. "We have always strived to apply this to all aspects of our lives, including spending time at the lake." Jon got involved in Renew Our Rivers in 2002 soon after his brother, Bill, retired and moved to the lake. Jon worked on his brother's pontoon boat, helping to spot and haul in floating debris. By the next year, Jon was the captain of his own boat, with his sons, who were then in college, lending a hand as his crew. Through the years, other family members and friends have joined the team. They work together to remove trash and debris from the 1-mile stretch of shoreline that connects the Lambert family's four lakefront homes. "We use a pontoon boat to get in and out of areas and hold the hundreds of pounds of trash we pick up every year," said Ken. "My brother and I usually wear waders and work along the shoreline while others use kayaks to get what we can't reach." Ken and Chris have turned the Above: Photo provided by k enny laMBeRt — Erin Whidden, brothers Kenny Lambert and Chris Lambert, and Chris' wife, Kim, pose together after a successful Lake Jordan cleanup. SETTING an example L A M B E R T F A M I LY H E L P S C L E A N L A K E J O R D A N 15 Y E A R S R U N N I N G "GOD GAVE US THIS BEAUTIFUL EARTH AND PUT US IN CHARGE OF MAINTAINING IT. WHETHER WE ARE SIMPLY PICKING UP TRASH OR TALKING TO OUR L AKE NEIGHBORS AND FISHERMEN ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING, IT IS IMPORTANT TO SET AN EXAMPLE OF KEEPING THE L AKE CLEAN." – CHR IS L A M BER T, W H O H A S TA K EN PA R T IN L A K E J O R D A N'S A NNU A L R ENE W O UR R I V ER S CL E A NUP FO R A D E C A D E A ND A H A L F.

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