Twenty-four years ago, a forward thinking group of individuals formed the Friends of Lakeside Nature Center's Stream Team #175. Knowing there was a need to connect citizens to the Blue River, these individuals began hosting river cleanups in the six-mile stretch of the river adjacent to the Lakeside Nature Center in Swope Park. 2015 marks the 25th annual effort to clean the Blue River and educate citizens of the region. Although site surveys begin in February and they are always weather-dependent, they anticipate that Project Blue River Rescue (PBRR) XXV will cover 25 miles of Blue River on 30 sites involving well over 1,000 citizens.
Friends of Lakeside Nature Center's Stream Team #175 focuses on the urban Blue River in Kansas City. The Blue River cuts across urban Kansas City and the river and its tributaries impact nearly one million residents. Project Blue River Rescue is one of the largest one-day stream cleanups in our state. In 2014, 1,200 volunteers cleaned up at 32 individual locations along 25 miles of the Blue. In 2015, PBRR will increase education efforts by creating a reusable display. This will enable Stream Team #175 to partner more widely by providing a professional exhibit for other festivals.
This grant will support this education signage and display, creating infrastructure that will support education for many years and can be easily updated in the future.
Funding Amount:$1,500
Year:2015
Type:
Fish Conservationwildlife and plant conservation