“The environmental mindset can become overwhelming; you become so focused on solving the big picture that you feel like you can never make a difference. It was a nice reminder that something as simple as picking up trash is helping fix the environmental issues we face!”

“This trip was a reminder that the little things add up, as the thousands of pounds of trash we helped pick up were the result of individual, seemingly small, events, [such as:] stormwater runoff, littering, overflow of garbage cans, illegal dumping, etc. However, participating in events like river cleanups supports the recovery of our waterways while solutions to the root causes of this issue are explored.”

“I was completely surprised by the amount of trash removed. There was so much more than I imagined. There were also many items that I didn't expect to be there.”

“When initially looking into Living Lands and Waters, I read a lot of information about the success they were having on the Mississippi with their trash pickup events. I was excited by the idea of being a part of a group that would make a tangible impact on the river, so I signed up!”

“Rivers connect us. Water that enters the Mississippi in Memphis flows past the LSU campus and out into the Gulf. Picking up trash on a river clean up like this one not only reminds us of the importance of caring for our shared resource, it demonstrates how closely connected we all are.”