Renew Our Rivers prepares for 2016 campaign
Organizers of Mississippi Power’s Renew Our Rivers campaign visited Hancock County neighborhood Clermont Harbor last week to survey debris and begin planning this year’s cleanup.
Last October, 30 Renew Our Rivers volunteers from Mississippi Power, Coast Electric, Hancock County and several other partners removed more than 5 tons of debris from the Clermont Harbor bayou.
“We saw an immediate impact from the cleanup in October, both in the bayou and with the residents of Clermont Harbor,” Mississippi Power Senior Environmental Specialist and Renew Our Rivers Coordinator Courtney VanderSchaaf said. “Using our resources to affect the communities we serve in such a positive way is the goal of Renew Our Rivers.”
Another cleanup in Clermont Harbor is scheduled for April 23 to continue removing debris that’s been in the bayou since Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in August 2015.
“We’re focusing our efforts on a land-based, community litter cleanup,” VanderSchaaf said. “It’s a great way for local residents and other interested volunteers to participate in Renew Our Rivers.”
Renew Our Rivers, one of Mississippi’s premiere environmental stewardship programs, will kick of its 11th year of cleanups on Earth Day (April 22) with the annual Deer Island cleanup.
The eight cleanups in 2015 saw more than 500 volunteers collect more than 21 tons of debris from cleanups along the Gulf Coast and on the Okatoma and Chunky rivers. At the Gulfport Lake cleanup in September, volunteers removed the 300th ton of debris.
“That’s really a remarkable achievement and every volunteer should be proud that they played a part in this program,” VanderSchaaf said. “Reaching that milestone took a decade of work, planning and execution.”