in this issue
   LL&W's summer of 2004 sizzles with activity
   Plum Island Restoration Project
   LL&W introduces new student intern
   LL&W in the Chicago Tribune
   Upcoming activities

Greetings!

It is September, the Xstream Cleanups in the Quad Cities are over, the LL&W team continues its way down river and there is still much to do before the year is over!

LL&W's summer of 2004 sizzles with activity

This photo is from the East Moline cleanup, just one of the 11 river cleanups that took place in August. In addition to the river cleanups, over 20 waterways were cleaned in a massive cleanup on August 28, 2004. Over 1,300 volunteers participated and were rewarded with t-shirts and free tickets to the Swing of the Quad Cities and Ribfest.

The annual fundraiser, the Barge Party was a smashing success! It was an amazing evening of friends, outstanding food by the Machine Shed, great music by Mike Wallace and a fabulous art auction by Heidi Sallows and collaborators. Brian Anderson was the lucky winner of the donated Isabel Bloom Large Turtle door prize. Thank you to everyone who made the barge party possible!

View more photos in the new online photo albums!

Back to the Top

Plum Island Restoration Project

In 2001, a group of about 20 investors sought cooperation from state and federal agencies to build a 250-room hotel-convention center, townhouses and a 60-slip marina on the 55-acre Plum Island in the middle of the Illinois River. Within view from Starved Rock State Park, Plum Island is home to bald eagles and contains archaeological sites, including graves.

In March of 2001, the Starved Rock Audubon Society started a petition drive to stop the development of Plum Island. Their petition drive netted 8,000 signatures.

The battle lasted three years. A deal was finalized for purchase of the island in the Illinois River near Starved Rock State Park with funds provided by the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to the Trust for Public Land. The Illinois Audubon Society will be the new owner and will maintain the island. Now the Friends of Plum Island committee is planning the cleanup and the natural restoration.

The Audubon society contacted LL&W earlier this year to ask for help. Along with ownership of the island, they also acquired the leftover debris. The work will begin October 1, 2004, and although LL&W hopes to be finished by November 1, 2004, we will continue working until its completion. On October 23, LL&W will hold a large scale cleanup with 75-100 volunteers enlisted to clean the island and surrounding shorelines of Starved Rock State Park. Afterwards, a Plum Island dedication ceremony/press conference will take place. In addition to the cleanup effort, LL&W will hold Big River Educational Workshops for teachers, free of charge, on October 4, 10 and 24th. Beneficiaries of the Plum Island Restoration will include the 1.7 million visitors annually and nesting eagles.

www.livinglandsandwaters.org

Back to the Top

LL&W introduces new student intern

A letter of introduction is from our 2004-2005 student intern:

Hello out there to all the avid readers of the Living Lands & Waters newsletter. This paragraph is coming to you from the latest member of the LL&W team. My name is Geoffrey Manis, and this semester I will be fulfilling my Western Illinois University student internship with Living Lands & Waters. I will be trying my best to help out LL&W in virtually every area possible. For example, in the coming weeks I will be in the office coordinating the Adopt-A-Mississippi River Mile program, as well as helping out the crew with their many missions on the river. The goal is to split my time between the office and the barge. However it all pans out one thing I know is that I am truly blessed to be given the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing organization. Thank you for your time and support with Living Lands & Waters.

Sincerely, Geoffrey Manis

View Geoff's online biography...

Back to the Top

LL&W in the Chicago Tribune

National correspondant, Michael Martinez, wrote an outstanding front page story about Chad and LL&W for the Chicago Tribune. The story appeared on August 23, 2004 and has generated much interest from readers who have called or written.

The story was also reportedly picked up by the Washington Post and ran on September 5.

Back to the Top

Upcoming activities

Don't forget to check the online calendar of events for upcoming LL&W activities in your area. The Fort Madison, Iowa cleanup will be on Saturday, September 18 and the Keokuk, Iowa cleanup will be on September 25th.

There is still time to register for the LL&W golf event! The Port of the Quad Cities Propeller Club of the United States is hosting a golf event at Pinnacle Country Club in Milan, Illinois. For reservations, call 563.344.5100.

Back to the Top

Our supporters

Please thank our major contributors for their support of LL&W...
Please also thank our other generous contributors ...

Contact Information
email: madeline@livinglandsandwaters.org
web: http://www.livinglandsandwaters.org