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NWF and Earth Conservation Corps Clean up the Anacostia River
Thursday, August 14, 2008
(National Wildlife Federation)
On July 29, 2008, NWF joined Earth Conservation Corps for a clean-up day on the banks of the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. Participants picked up garbage and cleared away driftwood and invasive plants, making room for Corps members to plant native species.
Two billion gallons of polluted water enters the Anacostia each year, and every rainstorm brings overflowing sewage into the river. Clean-up efforts lasted for three hours and volunteers filled many bags with garbage, but Corps members informed NWF staff that the banks would likely be covered with litter again after the next storm. ECC members tirelessly pursue the goal of a cleaner Anacostia River while trying to inspire the same dedication and conservation ideals in neighborhood residents.
ECC was started in the late 1990s by a Hollywood producer as a way of engaging young people between the ages of 17-24. Each year through a competitive process 20 people are hired at minimum wage levels. Corps members use the opportunity to change their lives, while addressing conservation issues. Many go on to college or conservation-focused jobs. During their year in the program, they do activities such as:
- helping volunteers do trash and river clean-ups
- making documentaries about how conservation issues fit into the world view of the people in this very violent area of Washington DC
- monitoring pollution sources along the river and fighting for better pollution treatment
- taking school kids on to the Anacostia to learn about wildlife and pollution
- attending Nationals baseball games (the stadium was just down the street) with their resident owl and hawk to educate people about the issues
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