FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Contact: Hannah Flath, hannahlee.flath@sierraclub.org, 860-634-0225
ALTON, IL -- The Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois is celebrating the success of a myriad of activities commemorating Earth Month! Over the past month, the Three Rivers Project partnered with several local businesses, environmental and conservation organizations, and the local Sierra Club group—the Piasa Palisades Group—to encourage action and participation in initiatives that focus on the urgent need for environmental justice, conservation, and climate solutions. These events and initiatives are made possible through the dedication of local volunteers, whose hard work as citizen scientists and environmental advocates aid in the protection and preservation of the beautiful Piasa Palisades region.
“As a grassroots organization, volunteers are not only integral to the day-to-day work we do, but also help guide our vision for a cleaner, greener Illinois,” says Three Rivers Project co-Coordinator Christine Favilla. “The efforts of local volunteers over the past month are proof of volunteers’ capacity to change their local communities for the better. We’re so grateful to the leadership of the Piasa Palisades Group, our partnerships with local business and other environmental and conservation organizations, and to the countless volunteers who show up time and time again to protect our environment.”
Throughout April and May, the Three Rivers Project participated in three litter clean-ups to preserve and protect the Mississippi River, four native tree and plant plantings, and several community events to educate local residents about environmental issues in the Metro East region, such as three seed swaps. Over the course of the two river clean-ups, volunteers collected over 1,500 pounds of trash and recyclable material. The April 27 clean-up event with volunteers from the Three Rivers Project and Living Lands & Waters yielded a mind boggling accumulation of trash, including: 189 square feet of foam, two pounds of scrap metal, 52 pounds of plastic, three five-gallon buckets, two basketballs, four tires, a TV, a fridge, and other miscellaneous items.
In addition to local clean-up efforts, the Three Rivers Project of Illinois is partnering with the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) and the City of Alton to plant native plants and trees throughout Downtown Alton. Over the course of two planting sessions, volunteers planted 54 native trees in Piasa Park, the Riverfront Park, the Wadlow Restoration Site, and at the Hampton Gardens. This project, which is made possible thanks to a Recover, Replant, Restore! Grant from Trees Forever, will help provide tree canopy cover to green spaces throughout Alton. These efforts are critical to improving recreation areas in the community while also supporting the ecology of the Metro East region. One tree planting session of the season remains, and interested volunteers can sign up to help plant trees on May 25 via https://conta.cc/3Kr6Qso.
“We were thrilled to celebrate local volunteers and our partner organizations at a recent Barge Bash on Living Lands & Waters’ Classroom Barge, which is docked at the National Great Rivers Museum in East Alton,” says Christine Favilla. “Volunteers do so much to protect and preserve our unique ecosystem in the Metro East region, and we look forward to continuing to work alongside them in service of our shared planet and to celebrating their accomplishments.”
To get involved with Sierra Club Illinois, visit sierraclub.org/illinois/piasa-palisades or contact Christine Favilla at christine.favilla@sierraclub.org.