Missouri River Relief

The organization emerged organically from a group of people in mid-Missouri who simultaneously recognized the need for engaged stewardship of the Missouri River and the desire of citizens to take part in watershed solutions. Inspired by a video of Chad Pregracke's Living Lands and Waters barge clean-up crew, this group of Missouri River lovers put... together a coalition of public, private and citizen stewards that brought the barge up the river, holding the first massive Missouri River clean-up at Easley, MO, in 2001. Since that time, the organization has grown each year. To date, MRR has hosted 184Missouri River clean-ups, bringing 27,865 volunteers to clean 940tons of trash from 1,287 miles of the river. We have participated in and hosted clean-ups in eight states, from the Mississippi River to Yankton, S.D. In addition, the organization promoted local river education through countless outreach projects, aiming to build public awareness, action and support for a healthy river. 2019 was Missouri River Relief's 19th year, and volunteers got a lot done. The past two years have been uniquely challenging in the Missouri River basin with record-breaking floods followed by record-breaking heat and drought. Many people are rethinking their relationship to the river but one thing remains the same - Missouri River Relief's mission to bring people to the river with the common goal of improving it. River Clean-ups accomplish a few things effectively: they engage people proactively in the stewardship of the Missouri River, often putting people on the river for the first time. They also educate people about the problem of solid waste on our streams and rivers and physically bring interested parties together to accomplish something real. But Missouri River Relief quickly realized that broader education is the key to solving our watershed problems. So we have also hosted and participated in 300+ Missouri River Learning Festivals & River Trips, bringing together corporate, scientific, agency and non-profit experts together to ...Read More