Mississippi River Gorge neighborhood cleanup scheduled Apr. 20

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Join your neighbors to celebrate Earth Day and clean up our local stretch of the Mississippi River Gorge, Sat., Apr. 20, 9:30am to noon.

Friends of the Mississippi River will be hosting clean-ups at two sites in Longfellow, one at E. 36th St. and one at E. 44th St. along West River Pkwy,

Photo right: Young group at Earth Day cleanup. (Photo provided)

“One of my favorite times to be at the river is Earth Day,” says Bea Schneider, longtime cleanup volunteer and River Gorge Steward with Friends of the Mississippi River. “There is always an amazing group of volunteers to help clean the area and keep the river clean as it makes its long journey south. I have enjoyed their many wonderful stories about why they’re here to help and at the end what they found or saw as they walked the trails.”

Photo left: The annual Earth Day cleanup along the River Gorge is a neighborhood tradition. (Photo provided)

All are welcome at this family-friendly event. As Schneider puts it, “The age range of the volunteers is broad, but we all share a delight in the beauty and secrets the river and hills have to share.”

To join, just show up between 9:30am and noon at 36th or 44th St. and West River Pkwy and sign in with FMR staff who will provide bags and gloves. However, if you have your own gloves, FMR’s volunteer coordinator, Amy Kilgore, recommends bringing them as they’ll probably fit better. She also suggests sturdy shoes and dressing in layers. She also requested that groups who plan to attend let her know if they can ahead of time.

Photo right: Bea Schneider, left, a longtime River Gorge Stewards volunteer, loves meeting new people (including these Girl Scouts, who are educating neighbors about invasive plant species) at the cleanup every year. (Photo provided)

This event is supported by the local neighborhood group, the Longfellow Community Council, and Longfellow area residents are especially encouraged to attend. It’s also part of the River Gorge Stewards program that actively engages citizens throughout the Twin Cities in the stewardship of the national treasure that is our local Mississippi River Gorge.

Kilgore says all participants who provide an email address (optional) will be notified of upcoming Gorge Stewards events in this area. There are typically 5-10 public events a year, ranging from the big cleanups to smaller outings to learn about and help protect the rare oak savanna near 36th St., the maple-basswood forest, and the sand flats.

If you can’t make it, you can also email FMR Volunteer Coordinator Amy Kilgore at akilgore@fmr.org to join the River Gorge Stewards list.

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