Project #61: Ijams River Rescue

BETTER TOGETHER: DOW TEAMS WITH IJAMS NATURE CENTER AND RIVERS ARE LIFE TO CLEANUP LOCAL WATERSHEDS

15 Dow employees, family, and friends joined Ijams Nature Center for the 36th Annual River Rescue on Saturday, March 8, 2025. This year featured 32 cleanup areas on creeks, streams, and watersheds throughout Knoxville.

As founding partner of Rivers are Life, Dow understands the importance of protecting our natural resources and the role rivers play in our everyday lives. As Knoxville community members, keeping their local rivers and watersheds clean is essential for preserving ecosystems, protecting wildlife, and ensuring safe drinking water. Pollution from litter, trash dumping, and stormwater runoff can degrade water quality. But by coming together and participating in this annual cleanup, they are bringing awareness to how residents can help by properly disposing of waste.

The team cleans up the same creek every year to prevent trash from making its way into the Tennessee River. Each year they find different trends in what has been dumped or washed into the area. This year electronics seemed to be the big ticket item found, with the typical glass and plastic bottles, straws, wrappers, and general household waste also being collected.

The neighbors that live in the area, shared positive words of appreciation, which reinforces the idea that while there may continue to be trash that washes in this creek, by bringing attention to it, we are educating the importance of community action. We believe that by working together, we can maintain the beauty and health of Knoxville’s waterways for future generations.

Talking with Cindy Hassil from Ijams Nature Center she stressed the importance of keeping our watersheds clean. “Every time it rains we have more trash coming from upstream down. That means that our Ijams Team River Captain and cleanups like this one have to be vigilant. If we clean something up and have torrential rain, we are going to have to do it all over again. So, if we can get people to put their trash in the right place or recycle when possible and actually be aware of where their trash is going, it might help us to keep it out of the waterways and off of the shorelines. That would really help.”

This project was hosted by the environmental non-profit Ijams Nature Center and made possible by the support of a Dow grant.

"It is really wonderful when companies, organizations, school groups come together to support a community wide cleanup. Dow has been a partner of Ijams Nature Center for many, many years. They are extremely supportive not only by providing funding that make this cleanup possible, but also their employees get excited and they come out and cleanup the same site every year and they have a really good time. It is wonderful to see organizations like Dow come together and actually go out and make a tangible difference in their community"

Cindy Hassil

Development Director,
Ijams Nature Center

"Each year, my family and I arrive at the River Rescue site ready to clean. When we first look, it doesn't seem like a lot of litter can be found; however, as we start methodically filling bags and jokingly asking each other, 'Want to eat this food I found or play with this toy?' I realize there is much more trash covered by the weeds, mud, and other debris. Each year, we find a bike or scooter, innumerable bottles, cans, and Styrofoam cups, and many other incorrectly discarded items. When we finish and we see the piles of bags and larger items, I realize what a well-spent 4 hours we just had and what a positive impact we are having for our area, our waterways, and our future. I enjoy being able to actively teach my family how to care for the environment."

Margaret Carrizales

ESNS Delivery Specialist,
Dow Knoxville

"My husband and I really enjoyed helping out at the River Rescue event with Dow! We were both proud to be helping make a noticeable impact on the Knoxville rivers and waterways. We have been helping out in this effort for several years and are always surprised by how much accumulates in the waterways. We both very much enjoy coming out to help keep Knoxville and the surrounding areas beautiful!"

Katie Young

Production Engineer,
Dow Knoxville