A thoughtful, committed citizen on the Mississippi by Jan Weaver
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.” A small group-ok, but one guy? Margaret Mead wanted to emphasize that even a few people can bring about social change, but she may have underestimated what a single thoughtful, committed citizen can do. Case in point, Chad Pregracke..
In 1997 Pregracke, who was working as a commercial diver on the Mississippi River after graduating from high school, decided he wanted to do something about the trash littering the banks and bottom of the river. He took the step most of the rest of us would take once we finally decided to do something and approached local agencies to volunteer his help on any clean-up projects they had. Only nobody was doing clean-up projects on the Mississippi. Most of us might take this as a sign that a Mississippi River Clean-Up was too basic to merit attention or too overwhelming to tackle, and we would move on to other projects. For Pregracke it was a sign that here was an opportunity and so he started cleaning up the river himself.
That first year he cleaned 100 miles of river and picked up 22 tons of garbage. He also picked up a sponsor, and the next year, with more equipment and more people, he cleaned up 900 miles of shoreline (over 400 miles of river) and picked up 200 tons of trash. The list of stuff recovered from the river over the last 4 years includes tires, refrigerators, propane tanks, steel drums, bikes, chairs, pesticide containers, washing machines, coolers, antifreeze containers, bed springs, lawn mowers and even a 1970 Ford Econoline Van. Since that first summer he has expanded clean-ups to include the Illinois and Ohio Rivers and this fall, the Missouri River.
That’s right, the Missouri River. Pregracke and the Missouri River Communities Network (MRC) plan to hold a Community Clean Up and River Relief on October 6, 2001 (mark the date!). The Missouri River Communities Network was created after the 1993 flood to help involve citizens in the flood- affected communities along the river be more involved in planning and management of the river. In addition to organizing this clean-up, MRC works with the stakeholders in the Missouri River Valley to address economic, recreation and environmental issues. The clean-up itself will be an all day affair, with hard and dirty cleaning up in the morning and celebrating in the afternoon.
Pregracke has helped organize a number of these events all over the Mississippi River watershed. He sees the clean-up of trash as just the first step in getting people to pay attention to and take care of the river. Trash is the most visible problem and therefore the easiest way to raise awareness of the other river issues, including chemical pollution and sedimentation.
To set the stage for the October 6 Clean-Up, and to share the details of his experiences in starting and growing his organization “Living Lands and Waters”, Pregracke will be speaking on the MU Campus on Thursday April 19 at 7:30 pm in 100 Stewart Hall. (Stewart Hall is just east of the Memorial Union’s north wing. Parking is available in the University Garage on University Avenue 1/2 block west of College). There will be a free reception following his presentation.
Learn more about it at:
Pregracke http://www.cleanrivers.com/index.shtml
MRC http://mrcn.missouri.org/
BioRegional Quiz: When was the first Earth Day and who were the co-founders of Earth Day?
Job of the Month: ECOCONSUMER CLEARING HOUSE NETWORK COORDINATOR - Los Angeles CA. Ecoconsumer Clearing House was founded to help consumers lead more sustainable lives. Job Desc: Responsible for writing and designing widely distributed publications, expanding networks & coalitions of consumers using buying power, providing fund raising materials, writing grants, managing legal & financial affairs of the organization. Qualifications: Strong writing, speaking, organizational skills essential; public interest non-profit experience preferred. Salary from $17,500 to $35,000 depending on experience & benefits which include school loan repayment programs. Send cover letter and resume to: Amy Perry, Hiring Director, 29 Temple Place, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02111, Fax (617) 292 8057; E-mail careers@pirg.org for more information.
Information on other Environmental Positions is available from the MU Environmental Studies Program, 211 Lowry (inside the Honors College), 882-7116, envstudy@showme.missouri.edu or at www.ejobs.org
Special Events/Information:
Feedback - Got an opinion about something we’ve written, or about a current environmental issue? If we have space, we will consider publishing it; submit it by email (envstudy@showme.missouri.edu), snail mail (Environmental Studies, 211 Lowry Memorial Union, MU, Columbia MO 65211), or call Jan Weaver to talk about it (882-7116). MU Environmental Network News is published by MU’s Environmental Studies Initiative. All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor. Any part of this newsletter may be copied for distribution but please give us credit.