State Volunteer Program - Iowa Project Aware 2008 Winnegago, Shell Rock and Cedar Rivers

Iowa Project AWARE, which stands for A Watershed Awareness River Expedition, is a weeklong river cleanup coordinated by Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ IOWATER and Iowa Water Trails programs and the University of Iowa Hygienic Lab Limnology Department. What began in 2003 as an afternoon brainstorming session on how to unite Iowa’s volunteers, foster environmental stewardship, and promote watershed education, has now been responsible for not only leading Iowans in the caring of their natural resources, but also empowering them to make a difference. Project AWARE, however, is much more than just a simple river cleanup. By recycling as much of the trash as possible, making concerted efforts to minimize the event’s environmental footprint, and combining recreation and education into a meaningful and rewarding experience for volunteers, Project AWARE goes far beyond the realm of river cleanup. Past participants have said that Project AWARE is one of the greatest ways for someone to connect with nature and make a difference in protecting it. In the seven-year history of Project AWARE, the expedition has sported an impressive track record, enlisting 1,500 participants who have cleaned up more than 513 river miles and removed over 1,800 cubic yards of trash, of which 78 percent has been recycled. Volunteers have also restored native prairie, renovated trails, and enhanced recreational areas. With the assistance of an Iowa artist, sculptures are also built from the trash collected during the event. This element of AWARE has helped to educate the public and increase awareness by providing both a literal and symbolic representation of the accomplishments of Project AWARE volunteers while bringing the attention of the general public to the condition and status of Iowa’s waterways. This artwork not only promotes the good work of the AWARE volunteers, but is a living example of reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award: Brian Soenen, Lynette Seigley, Eric O’Brien, Mary Skopec, Jackie Gautsch, James Luke Wright, Seth Zimmermann and David Williamson, joining them, Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young.