DECATUR-The Decatur Morgan County Tourism and Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in partnership with Tennessee RiverLine are hosting a river stewardship event to collect litter from the Tennessee River. Set for September 18, 2021, Clean Up for the Cranes is a volunteer event designed to help clean the Tennessee River while raising awareness of its recreational impact to the city of Decatur and Morgan County.
The public is invited to participate in the Clean Up for the Cranes event to take place at Ingalls Harbor Pavilion, located at 802-A Wilson Street NW, September 18. From 8:00 to 11:00 a.m., Decatur residents, volunteers and community leaders will remove trash along the Tennessee River and within the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge with support from team members of Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful (KTNRB), Decatur Morgan County Tourism and the Tennessee RiverLine. Some participants will clean from the shoreline, while others will remove trash from the river in KTNRB’s 25-foot work boat and other personal watercraft.
“The Tennessee River is an asset to Decatur and Morgan County from a recreational standpoint,” said Decatur Morgan County Tourism President and CEO Danielle Gibson. “Decatur Morgan County Tourism actively markets and promotes the many outdoor recreation opportunities the Tennessee River affords us, such as boating, canoeing, fishing and viewing wildlife including Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes who spend the winter each year at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. We hope the Clean Up for the Cranes event will raise awareness about the problem of litter in our community and participating in the cleanup is one way that citizens can do their part for the river.”
Participants are asked to meet at 8 a.m. at Ingalls Harbor Pavilion for a brief program and instructions. Organizers will group participants into teams of 15 before assigning a cleanup location. A limited number of supplies, such as gloves and trash bags, will be provided but participants are asked to bring their own. The event will be held rain or shine.
Clean Up for the Cranes is an official Tennessee RiverLine event as part of the Tennessee RiverTowns Program. Decatur is one of fifteen Tennessee River communities that was selected for the inaugural cohort of the Tennessee RiverTowns Program in October 2020. In addition to drawing attention to river stewardship, the event is to bring awareness to the importance of the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and its impact on the community.
“The impact of this cleanup goes far beyond the Tennessee River,” added Gibson. “The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is home to 14,000 Sandhill Cranes along with a few Whooping Cranes who spend the winter here each year. In celebration of the winter migration of these long-legged and long-necked birds, Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association hosts Festival of the Cranes, an annual event offering a variety of activities for experienced birders and anyone who would like to learn more about birding and other wildlife that call the Refuge home, each January. The cleanup will help preserve wildlife habitat and protect our natural resources for future generations to enjoy.”
For more information on the cleanup, call Gibson at 256-350-2028.
Media Release/Danielle Gibson, President & CEO
Decatur Morgan County Tourism, Inc.
