Last year was an outstanding year at Living Lands & Waters! There were so many wonderful Community Cleanups, Riverbottom Forest Restoration activities, Educational Workshops and other events too numerous to mention. Here are just a few of the highlights of 2004.
Capital River Relief, April 2004
The Capital River Relief project was an unprecedented cleanup effort coordinated by Chad Pregracke, Doug Siglin, director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Anacostia River Initiative; and founding sponsor, Koch Industries, Inc. The month-long event took place in Washington DC in April, 2004.
Support came from various organizations and individuals, including Congress, George Washington University, American University, Whole Foods, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, PEPCO, Potomac Conservancy, the Church of Latter Day Saints, Potomac Conservancy, American Waterways Operators and many others.
Environmental entrepreneur Chad Pregracke, his team and volunteers cleared 50 tons of debris, completely filling a 140-foot-long barge with tires, milk crates, styrofoam, glass and other garbage. They filled more than 3,000 bags with trash, and gathered 896 tires, 25 fifty-five gallon barrels, 12 shopping carts, seven refrigerators, six messages in bottles, three water heaters and one mannequin hand.
Look for LL&W back in the D.C. area in April of 2005!
Barge Party 2004
Living Lands & Waters annual Barge Party Fundraiser took place on August 4 under a beautiful summer sky on the banks of the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa, with a crowd of nearly 300 friends of LL&W in attendance. The fabulous food was catered by the Machine Shed, and was an absolute hit with fried fish, boiled shrimp and vegetables. Mike Wallace provided the background tunes while Frank Holst donated the sound setup. Artist Heidi Sallows donated several works designed especially for a silent art auction to benefit LL&W. Be sure to check our website soon for the date of our next big bash!
Xstream Cleanup
The Xstream Cleanup committee formed in September of 2003 due to the great success of that summer’s Duck Creek Cleanup. Chad Pregracke suggested that the group expand its cleanup efforts outside of Davenport and Bettendorf and into the entire Quad City Area. The suggestion was well received and the planning began.
The group recruited representatives from Cities of Bettendorf, Davenport, East Moline, LeClaire, Moline, and Rock Island, as well as representatives from several organizations and businesses throughout the Quad Cities.
Beginning in early August, Chad Pregracke’s Living Lands & Waters group began a cleanup of the Mississippi River, which eventually led up to the Quad Cities. As Chad’s crew and volunteers cleaned up various stretches of the Mississippi River, over 1300 volunteers cleaned up 27 other sites during the week of August 23-28, which included creeks, drainage ways, and the Rock River.
Xstream Cleanup 2004 was a huge success and planning is underway for Xstream Cleanup 2005! The group would like to expand its efforts to some of the smaller communities and rural areas of Iowa and Illinois next year. Call 563-468-4218 for more information.
Golf Event
It was a perfect day for the Port of the Quad Cities Propeller Club of the United States Third Annual Living Lands & Waters 2004 Golf Event on September 20, 2004 at Pinnacle Country Club, Milan, Illinois. All proceeds benefited Living Lands & Waters. Golfers had a chance to win a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix with a hole in one on the 18th hole, sponsored by Zimmerman Pontiac Cadillac Oldsmobile Honda.
Plum Island
In 2001, investors unveiled their plan for commercial development on Plum Island on the Illinois River. The Illinois Audubon Society formed a Friends of Plum Island committee to oppose this because nearly 100 nesting eagles make the island their winter home. They started a petition drive that got 8,000 signatures.
The Friends asked for Lt. Governor Quinn's help and were happy to get his full backing. Through his office, Lt. Quinn helped to block development on the island. He had an online petition at saveoureagles.org and twenty thousand people signed it. Lt. Governor Quinn also assisted in getting the grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to the Trust for Public Land.
In March of 2004 the Illinois Audubon Society used the grant to buy the island. The Friends asked Living Lands & Waters to clear the island of trash and debris, including large structures. On October 23, 2004, Living Lands & Waters coordinated a community cleanup of the remaining trash and then took part in the dedication of the island as a natural wildlife preserve.
