FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hahira, GA, April 23, 2018 — Fifty children and adults helped WWALS clean up the site of old Troupville Saturday, with permission and thanks from the landowner where that former Lowndes County seat goes down to the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River, just west of Valdosta.

Cleanup leader WWALS member Bobby McKenzie said:

We met at the signs for safety/execution briefing. I was able to talk about the signs and water trail to 50 folks and when I asked who knew about the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers and being able to kayak them, only 2 folks were aware. Now 50 more folks are aware…and half were kids…but some of the best kind of kids…Boy and Girl Scouts!

Photo: Bobby McKenzie for WWALS 2018-04-21, at Troupville Boat Ramp, by the WWALS signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) that Phil Hubbard planted 2018-04-20.

Landowner Helen Tapp, whose family LLC gave permission for this cleanup, added:

What a fabulous turn-out of Earth Day workers! Thank you so much for the clean-up and helping the Troupville site regain a little dignity.

Also, your efforts will help reduce the debris that gets in the rivers, and contributes to a healthier habitat for a variety of wildlife.

Cheers to all your hard work! Hope it was fun to be out on such a pretty day. Your efforts are very much appreciated.

WWALS charter board member Bret Wagenhorst, who was at the WWALS booth that afternoon at A Day in the Woods in Berrien County has organized many Rivers Alive cleanups on the Alapaha River, noted:

To see more of the beauty of the Little River, come upstream Saturday and paddle in the Sixth Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race!

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman, who that morning was at a water quality testing training he organized at the Suwannee River in Suwannee County, Florida, thanked many people:

Thanks to Bobby McKenzie for holding down the Troupville cleanup single-handedly while all WWALS board members were otherwise occupied; Bobby also brought some personnel from Moody Air Force Base. Thanks to Aaron Strickland and Keep Lowndes-Valdosta Beautiful for sending the scouts and arranging for trash pickup later. Thanks to all the organizations listed as sponsors on the signs WWALS Outings Committee Chair Phil Hubbard planted at Troupville Boat Ramp the previous day.

Maybe other organizations would like to become associated with such cleanups to improve the health of our waterways and drinking water and for recreation for children and adults, by sponsoring the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, like the organizations with logos already on those signs. Or maybe some of you would like to join the WWALS Outings Committee that scheduled this cleanup, or the WWALS Trails Committee that designed those signs.

How much trash? Bobby McKenzie elaborates:

My count on the site was about 35 of the 30 Gal trash bags, 5 tires, a bumper from a Pontiac Bonneville and a life size motorcycle sign as the big ticket items and of course if VLPRA comes and oulls the boat out… there is that…The KLVB rep said they coordinated VLPRA to come get the boat.

About WWALS: Founded in June 2012, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS) advocates for conservation and stewardship of the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, and Suwannee River watersheds in south Georgia and north Florida through education, awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities. Since December 2016, John S. Quarterman is the Suwannee Riverkeeper®, which is a staff position and a project of WWALS as the Member of Waterkeeper® Alliance for the Suwannee River Basin. For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS calendar or the WWALS outings and events web page. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

Contact:
John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper
contact@suwanneeriverkeeper.org
WWALS Watershed Coalition
850-290-2350
www.wwals.net
PO Box 88, Hahira, GA 31632

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 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

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