Giving Back to the River or does any one give a............

[DeBo]

The Arkansas Canoe Club, in the past, has been cited as a first rate volunteer organization. While some of our members continue their altruistic service by taking on volunteer jobs and participating in activities which give back to the club and most importantly to the rivers of Arkansas, it is largely the same people who take on these kinds of services again and again.

Recently, I have been seriously disappointed in the lack of interest here in helping with environmental issues or participating in activities which give back to our rivers. In the last few months, I have not bothered posting news on conservation because my posts generally receive less than 30 views in the first two days while trip announcements and sadly, even OT subjects get consistently over 100 hits in the same amount of time.

I know that many of you enjoy the Cossatot River as often as you can but only FOUR regular volunteers could find time to come to the cleanup last Saturday. As an experiment, I had posted a reminder before the cleanup. The title of that post was deliberately vague and sounded like a trip announcement. In the first 24 hours that post got over 100 hits yet NOT ONE other person showed up for the cleanup!

The staff of the Cossatot River State Park has been a huge supporter of our club and paddlers in general. They protect the river for us and have even recovered equipment for us which had been lost or stolen. They asked to work with us as partners to preserve this river for future generations. How sad it was when people who would have been there to paddle the river couldn’t spare one day to show support and give back to the place they love.

State and Federal agencies depend on public support to do their jobs. Whether it is participating in cleanups or writing letters to them and the politicians who hold the purse strings, they need to be able to show that the places they protect are important to people.

So, what I am asking is that, instead of posting that off topic subject or a long comeback to someone on the message board, each one of you sends a letter to your representatives about an important environmental issue. I also ask that you use one paddling day of the year to participate in a cleanup or volunteer for another conservation event.

Many years ago I was not a volunteer, nor did I contribute much to altruistic causes. Then I discovered how great it feels to give back to the rivers and streams that I love and I’m addicted. You won’t regret it and the river karma just keeps adding up.

Please; opportunities are all around. Volunteer!!

[Dee Tucker]

Ok, Debo hit me where it hurts. How about the rest of you? Yes? I had one of the best paddling days of my life a few weeks ago on the Cossatot, but I was "too busy" or "too tired" to drag my butt to the clean-up day recently. Yes, I feel ashamed. I should have made the effort. I rationalized my way out of it by thinking of the times in the past that I stepped up, and how tough my week had been, but that just doesn't cover it. We are so blessed by nature's bounty here in Arkansas, and too often we take it for granted. We are also blessed to have Debo working like crazy on our behalf in so many ways, and too often we take her for granted as well. I want to do better in the future. I hope most of you feel the same way.

[joeanddestiny]

I do not have the opportunity to venture far from home due to my job, but you can count on my family and I to be at the cleanups around Conway and Faulkner County. Especially if it is on Saturday afternoon or Sunday.

[Lifejacket]

Most that know me know I am not much on organized events, with that in mind consider this. I always take what I brought from the river and then some. Always make sure others with me and ones I meet do the same. I try the educate everyone you meet on the river and clean up the take-out approach. I have hauled several tires, old tarps and other garbage off of the Caddo without organized events. While I understand your concern I disagree with much of your solution. I did not join to be rallied to clean-ups or criticized for not showing up. My philosophy is that educating others at the resources is better than cleaning up after them. I know this is not the response you were looking for, but using a softer tone in your initial attempt to gain support for your cause would not offended me. I like to point out that not everyone has the same views.

[DeBo]

Thanks much Dee for your support and thanks Joe and Destiny for your offer to do things near home. Everyone can contribute in their own way, including those who do some cleaning up and educating on their own when they go out. I also try to do that just as a given.

However, Lifejacket, my point in promoting official events is not to just clean up after others but to let people know how important it is to demonstrate solidarity and support for good stewardship by government agencies and to support public policy which has power over our rivers and other natural resources and build good relationships. I felt the need to state this in fairly strong terms in order to bring attention to this very important subject.

I’m not sure that I understand how you can be so offended by my asking people to volunteer for an event or send a letter about an issue to a representative. If you don’t want to do that you certainly don’t have to do it. This is not a personal attack on you and I am certainly well aware that not everyone has the same views.

This club has an interest in conservation issues and I am the conservation chair of this club. It is my job to track events and policy that affects our rivers, educate the membership and yes, rally people in the club to support conservation and access issues. I am only one person and I can’t do it all by myself. I need your help.

[jermdog]

It doesn't seem like a personal attack on anyone. It does feel like you are attacking everyone as a group. All he's saying is you catch more flies with honey. Try not to blast the entire group of people on the mb, much less the entire canoe club.
That said, I appreciate what you do in regards to trying to save AR as a natural state.

[coldspring]

As an atheist, I don't believe cleaning up will bring you good river karma, but it might make you feel more righteous while you're out there.

I know how you feel. Look at the brightside, at least the river is naturally THERE. The unpicked up trash will get washed out eventually. If no one gave back to the river, the river would still be there in 1,000 years.

You should be involved in taking care of hiking trails. After volunteers build the trails with painstaking labor, they have to maintain them, or they will disappear to the subtropical jungles of Arkansas!

I've picked up my share of trash up here in Missouri. Not as much as I originally hoped to, but I do still pick up here and there...every little bit helps.

Have you checked out the Missouri Stream Team program? We are blessed to have our state conservation agency help out with a statewide well financed education program.

[canoe]

Sorry Debo, sometimes life gets in the way of more importent things, like clean ups, going green, going off the grid(boba), being a good samaritin, and just doing the right thing. No excuse, but still, sometimes you just can't do everything you want to do. dale

[Clif]

As for honey to catch flies??? plenty of honey in the original "please come help" posts, of which this ain't one. Some times a growl gets more attention. Skip this sentence atheists.... Like a sermon sometimes steps on toes.

I think the point is we all could do more. This was trash on the river, in the past it has been other issues. Even if it takes an extra step or time.

Thanks to all that do. LJ is right in teaching prevention is worth a pound of cure. All important parts of the wheel.

[Half Ton]

I know how you feel. Look at the brightside, at least the river is naturally THERE. The unpicked up trash will get washed out eventually. If no one gave back to the river, the river would still be there in 1,000 years.

um.......yeah.......the trash will get washed on downstream then on down to the ocean where it ruins aesthetic quality, wildlife habitat, and human health and safety.

That was not a good point, but I will not blast you for it today.

I can remember a large backwoods landowner not letting people come clean the creek because he owned it and he said" besides the creek cleans itself twice a year anyway" talk about a limited view perspective on that guy's part.

Debo is right, I know that a lot of ACC and boaters pick up trash when they are on the river and that is AWESOME, but it ain't the same as showing up and representing in large force which usually catches more media attention, govermnent and community support, and furthers the educational impact, and keeps rivers with a lot of trash clean...........period.

I do this for a living and see it all the time so don't argue unless you want to get scorchingly flamed for being lame.

[Half Ton]

Quote:

"I know how you feel. Look at the brightside, at least the river is naturally THERE. The unpicked up trash will get washed out eventually. If no one gave back to the river, the river would still be there in 1,000 years."

um.......yeah.......the trash will get washed on downstream then on down to the ocean where it ruins aesthetic quality, wildlife habitat, and human health and safety.

That was not a good point, but I will not blast you for it today.

I can remember a large backwoods landowner not letting people come clean the creek because he owned it and he said" besides the creek cleans itself twice a year anyway" talk about a limited view perspective on that guy's part.

Debo is right, I know that a lot of ACC and boaters pick up trash when they are on the river and that is AWESOME, but it ain't the same as showing up and representing in large force which usually catches more media attention, govermnent and community support, and furthers the educational impact, river access opportunities, and keeps rivers with a lot of trash clean....for a little while.......period.

I do this for a living and see it all the time so don't argue unless you want to get scorchingly flamed for being lame.

Go participate in an organized cleanup once a year. It ain't that hard.

[johnnybiggun]

Every day I'm on the river is clean-up day ! Cossatot , Caddo , Ouachita & the Mt. Fork all cleaned to some degree by the Hobson clan this spring... Peace !

[Victor Caballeros]

I feel you on this too, for me its hard to plan to show up cause I have a kid but I do clean up War Eagle on my own when I have time. I do pick up countless beer cans and bottles, tires Etc.... Last weekend I took three tires out of Buffalo and beer cans, but I can't go this weekend but i put some effort to clean when I can. I know it feels like no one cares but I do feel guilty for not showing up on a planned clean up. Sorry and to Jon too

[coldspring]

Quote:


Go participate in an organized cleanup once a year. It ain't that hard.

I've been to a few. Not really worth it to put up with the personalities involved. I prefer working alone. I even have my own official stream team of one.

[coldspring]

Quote:


um.......yeah.......the trash will get washed on downstream then on down to the ocean where it ruins aesthetic quality, wildlife habitat, and human health and safety.

Not too many of the cleanups actually get up in the bottoms, you know out in the brush, weeds, trees, snakes, ticks, poison ivy, etc... and clean up all the trash there. Have you ever taken a look at all the trash out in these places. It also gets washed on down to the muddy rivers downstream. Just because you pick up a gravel bar, doesn't mean there's no trash. Looks nicer from the water though.