River conservation day a huge success

Letter to the Editor

Since 2001, the Battle Creek Clean Water Partners have conducted Global Citizens River Conservation Day. On Oct. 6, volunteers came to help make our waterways healthier at our seventh event. Approximately 550 people picked up trash and tires, removed invasive brush, and planted trees and plants native to Michigan. The group collected 120 cubic yards of trash, dozens of tires and 400 cubic yards of invasive brush!

In-kind services and financial help were from several organizations, including the MDEQ; Potawatomi RC&D; Waste Management; Allied Waste; Meijer; Kellogg Co.; Calhoun Conservation District; Kal-Blue; City of Battle Creek; City of Springfield; Calhoun County Road Commission; Calhoun County drain commissioner; Calhoun County Solid Waste Board; Team Active; Safety Services; Battle Creek Bombers; and the Climate Change Coalition.

We thank state Sen. Mark Schauer, Battle Creek Mayor John Godfrey and Calhoun County Board Chair Kate Segal for showing their ongoing support for the project and for recognizing this year's T-shirt design contest winner, Kaylan Hayman, our other finalists, and our photo contest winners.

Participants included area residents; Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center; Kalamazoo River Watershed Council; Michigan Youth Challenge; Operation GRAD; Calhoun Community High School; KCC students; K-PEP; Students for Environmental Action; National Honor Society students; Kellogg Co. team; Calhoun County Democratic Party members; Pennfield Optimists; Pennfield Exchange; Battle Creek Kiwanis; St. Thomas Church; Boy Scouts; Girl Scouts; Team Active; Climate Change Coalition; and the Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers.

We thank all of our volunteers both past and present for their continued interest in this project.

Christine Kosmowski
Environmental programs coordinator
City of Battle Creek

Originally published October 28, 2007
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