Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, our river cleanup program continued to thrive due to innovative partnerships and programs , and the support of volunteers. This year the Spokane Riverkeeper cleaned up 12,000 pounds of trash in 61 river miles, with 473 volunteers, over 41 cleanup events.
We partnered with the Spokane River Forum for five public “Get up, Get out for the Spokane River” cleanup events.
We led “socially distant” cleanup events during the start of the pandemic, giving volunteers a safe way to participate in volunteerism during an uncertain time.
We added DIY events this year. We gave the groups bags, pickers, and gloves, suggested a location that needed cleaning on the river, and they picked up the trash independently. We then came back to pick up the bagged litter and dispose of it. We supported 10 of these cleanups, which cleaned up 1,700 pounds of litter!
Along with the Spokane River Forum, we adopted the TJ Meenach take-out. We emptied trash cans, cleaned river litter, and maintained the area on a weekly basis, allowing the city to keep the area open for boaters and floaters.
We plan on beginning our new cleanup year in March with a number of public cleanups. Please sign-up for our email list to stay informed about all of our volunteer opportunities. Until next year…..!
