WABASH, Ind. – The Wabash River Defenders will hold a river cleanup on Saturday, July 29, to continue the efforts of the past six years to rid the river of all obnoxious debris. The group has held an event every year since 2011, except for one year during flood stage.
The WRDs have removed 124 tons of debris and 4800 tires through the effort of hundreds of volunteers. Wabash County is known for having the largest volunteer Wabash River cleanup in Indiana. “If mother nature behaves this year, Wabash River Defenders will get every last tire out of the river,” reports Michael Beauchamp, a volunteer with the group.
The WRDs organize cleanup teams along the river in Wabash County so each team is responsible for just a few miles. Debris is loaded onto boats, floated to river access points, and then moved by pickup or trailer to a central location at Paradise Spring Park. Debris is sorted for tires, recyclables, electronics, and landfill disposables. Jen Rankin, another volunteer, says “We try to recycle and reuse whenever possible to reduce landfill waste.”
Need Info: Call Jen Rankin at 260-503-988
Individual or
Team Leader
Sign Up: Call Jen Rankin at 260-503-9880
Reserve Free T-shirt: Call Jen Rankin at 260-503-9880
Who can help? Any able person age 16 and over, or 13 and over with parent, willing to get wet and muddy in the river
Help on land? People are needed ON LAND who can help with moving, sorting, and loading debris
What’s needed? Pickup trucks, boats, shovels, trowels, rope, and personal gear like gloves, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug repellant, personal beverages and personal flotation device for each person in a boat.
Organizing meeting: 5:30 p.m., Thurs, July 13, Wabash County Solid Waste District Office, 1101 Manchester Ave. All Team Leaders and individual volunteers may attend.
Event Start Time: 8:00 a.m., Sat., July 29 with coffee
Start Location: Paradise Spring Park
Lunch Planned: All volunteers off river by 1:00 p.m. for lunch at Paradise Spring Park.
T-shirts: Limited supply of T-shirts for first volunteers who sign up. Once the
T-shirts are gone, there are no more
Facebook: View or Like “Wabash River Defenders”
Website: www.WabashRiverDefenders.org
Who are we? The Wabash Rivers Defenders are a group of volunteers who protect the river and promote recreation, wildlife habitat, and ecology.