Since 1998, Living Lands & Waters has worked in 18 states along 22 rivers hosting over 700 cleanups and with the help of 70,000 volunteers they have removed 7 million pounds of debris from our nation's waterways.
Since 2012, Living Lands & Waters has hosted over 60 Student and Teacher Workshops in their educational classroom on the Teamwork Barge. Nearly 2,000 students and over 200 educators have come through and had a hands on look at our river environment. Students and Teachers alike learned about the importance of their rivers as a natural resource and delved into multiple disciplines including technology, language, and the arts.
Chad Pregracke, founder of Living Lands & Waters, was nominated for a CNN Hero Award for "Defending the Planet". He also was the keynote speaker at the National Environmental Summit, a five day camp to inspire high school students to spark change in their communities. Pregracke also had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. this month to attend an event honoring the winner of the 5,000th Daily Point of Light Award. Pregracke was one of about two dozen past honorees invited to the event.
In April, the MillionTrees Project presented its 500,000th tree to Bowlesburg Elementary School in Silvis, Illinois. This tree marked the halfway point of the environmental group's goal of distributing one million trees. Thousands of volunteers have been involved in packaging and planting trees throughout the Midwest this year.
The Living Lands & Waters Barge Party is held annually in appreciation of volunteers, supporters and fans of LL&W's efforts. It is a celebration of the power of committed staff, volunteers and sponsors working together to meet an important need.
"We really loved having the Barge Party at Lake Davenport Sailing Club in the past, we just simply outgrew the location with the growing attendance. We are really excited for the new location, Schwiebert Park is one of the coolest parks along the Mississippi." says Pregracke.
The menu for this year's Barge Party will feature a fish fry & shrimp boil dinner. The party will also feature live music by Justin Morrissey and The Candymakers, as well as a silent art auction, featuring everything from recycled items to handmade sculptures.
The Barge Party will also feature a Best Boater Award. Nominate yourself or a fellow boater for the Best Boater Award. Living Lands & Waters will select five finalists to receive two complimentary tickets to the Barge Party. The winner will be announced at the party and will receive a $100 gas certificate and commemorative plaque. Visit http://www.
Tickets for the event are $40 per person. Reservations can be made online at livinglandsandwaters.org. Spots are limited, so please make your reservation soon to guarantee a seat.
Chad Pregracke started Living Lands & Waters in 1998 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the beautification and restoration of America's major rivers and to the education of people about environmental issues. From his single boat beginning, LL&W has grown into an internationally known organization with a fleet of barges and workboats. LL&W engages thousands of volunteers each year in river cleanups, hands-on environmental educational workshops, the Great Mississippi River Cleanup, Adopt-a- River-Mile program and the MillionTrees Project.
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