Our Mission

Have you ever wondered what kind of trash we find in America’s rivers? Well, if so, you’re not alone! We started tracking things like pounds of trash removed and sh!t we find tracing back to the beginning (1998). Plastic bottles are, by far, the number one thing we remove (see more information on an upcoming volunteer event at the bottom of the page!) but there are a variety of other items that might make you go, hmmm.

Being a Living Lands & Waters crew member is much more than a full-time job; it’s a fast-paced, whirlwind lifestyle. The month of March completely proves this. We throw our hands up and dive face first into our work every single day.

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — The 30th annual Ijams River Rescue presented by TVA with support from Lowe’s collected 36.8 tons of trash and tires from 33 sites in and along East Tennessee’s waterways on April 6, once again removing a significant amount from Loves Creek.

The event brought 680 volunteers out to clean up the community. They removed 1,646 bags of garbage and 449 tires from sites in Knox, Anderson, Blount and Loudon counties.