Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Milwaukee Riverkeeper cleanup at Hank Aaron State Trail
Volunteers smile for a photo after a Milwaukee Riverkeeper cleanup at Hank Aaron State Trail
Environmental conservation organization Milwaukee Riverkeeper set a Guinness World Record on Earth Day, April 22, for the largest river cleanup by number of individuals. In partnership with eco-friendly cleaning company Tru Earth, the organization mobilized 4,923 volunteers across 124 sites for its annual cleanup of the Milwaukee River Basin. “This kind of achievement belongs to the volunteers who made it happen and do the hard work of removing nuisance from our waterways,” says Riverkeeper’s executive director, Jennifer Bolger Breceda.
Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Executive Director Jennifer Bolger Breceda - MIlwaukee Riverkeeper
MIlwaukee Riverkeeper Executive Director Jennifer Bolger Breceda with the Guinness World Record certificate
The massive cleanup effort managed to remove more than 110,000 pounds of waste from Milwaukee’s waterways in just a few hours. In accordance with the specific rules set by Guinness, the number of folks counted by the record is slightly smaller than the actual number of folks who helped out.
Organizing Riverkeeper’s spring cleanup takes many months of coordination every year between fundraising for supplies to volunteer registration to proper waste disposal access. Working with local municipalities, waste management contractors and volunteer site captains, the organization fully employs its community partnerships in pinpointing optimal spots for cleanup across the river basin. “It’s really a reflection of years of relationship building and community commitment,” Bolger Breceda notes. “We’re managing a lot of moving pieces at once, but the biggest challenge is also what makes it worthwhile: bringing together so many people from different communities and ensuring everyone has a positive, meaningful experience.”
Thousands of Volunteers
Setting a world record had not been this year’s goal until Tru Earth brought the idea to Riverkeeper along with financing and added capacity to help make it happen. “We thought it was a great way to honor the work of the thousands of volunteers we mobilize,” Bolger Breceda affirms.
The record spring cleanup is a powerful example of collective power in action around a shared purpose. “The first cleanup happened over 30 years ago along the Menomonee River,” Bolger Breceda explains. “Since then both Milwaukee Riverkeeper and the movement for clean water have grown beyond what anyone envisioned was possible. It continues to grow every year, and by building the culture of shared responsibility and connection to these waterways year after year, the legacy of this event lasts far beyond a single day.”
Keeping the momentum from the event going, Milwaukee Riverkeeper plans to expand its program this summer by way of deeper enrichment, advancing restoration projects and advocating for stronger policy, transparency and accountability. Bolger Breceda states, “We’re proud of what’s been accomplished but we’re also focused on continuing the work of protecting and restoring our waters year-round.”
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