Volunteers sought for river cleanup event
Groups organizing the 16th annual Krazy for the Kazoo said they are in need of volunteers to participate in the river cleanup event.
In a news release from the city of Battle Creek, the groups said participants will clean up trash, debris, tires and invasive species. The event is Saturday and is part of the Battle Creek area's River Conservation Day event.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at Bailey Park’s C.O. Brown Stadium. There will be a brief opening ceremony before volunteers are assigned their work sites.
Other communities throughout the Kalamazoo River Watershed also will conduct cleanups in their areas.
“River cleanup and Conservation Day have been a huge success since we first began in 2001, with thousands of volunteers collecting tons of trash, hundreds of tires, and invasive plant species,” Tiffany Welsh, event coordinator and the city’s environmental programs coordinator, said in a news release. “Our volunteers typify our slogan of ‘Clean Water. You make the difference.’ We cannot be as successful without the help of so many caring individuals.”
Anyone interested in volunteering should pre-register and contact Welsh at 269-966-0712. To pre-register a school group, contact Mary Lindow at the Battle Creek Area Math and Science Center, 269-213-3803 or mlindow@bcamsc.org.
The Battle Creek Area Clean Water Partners includes: cities of Battle Creek and Springfield; Calhoun County Road Department; Calhoun County Water Resources Commission; townships of Bedford, Emmett, Leroy, Newton and Pennfield; Battle Creek area schools, Kellogg Community College; and the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center.
Other sponsors are: Battle Creek Community Foundation; Battle Creek Area Math and Science Center; Calhoun County Solid Waste Management Fund; Meijer; Enbridge Inc.; Denso Manufacturing Michigan Inc.; Waste Management; Republic Services; Kal-Blue; and the Great Lakes Commission.
Contact Jennifer Bowman at 269-966-0589 or jbowman@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter: @jenn_bowman. Listen to the podcast she co-hosts, The Jump Page, at soundcloud.com/enquirerpodcasting.