Volunteers make a lasting impact during National Public Lands Day cleanup at Riverlands

A waterlogged refrigerator, 15 tires and a discarded metal duck blind are not things most people expect to find along the Mississippi River. But for a Scouting America troop volunteering for National Public Lands Day on Sept. 26, the refrigerator became an unexpected challenge and a memorable part of their morning.

The Scouts worked together to pull the old appliance from the riverbank near the Clark Bridge, drawing smiles from Missouri Stream Team volunteer engagement assistant for the St. Louis region, Cheri Becker. “The utter joy on the Scouts’ faces as they worked to retrieve that old, waterlogged refrigerator … is something they will remember proudly for years to come,” Becker said.

The Scouts were among 102 volunteers who gathered near Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Alton, Illinois. By the end of the morning, volunteers had cleaned approximately 50 acres of public land and removed an estimated 1,500 pounds of trash and debris. Volunteers collected approximately 150 bags of litter, along with larger items including traffic cones, medical supplies, 78 pounds of loose plastic waste, a 55-foot fire hose, large batteries, trash-pump hoses, ladders and trash cans.

Corrinne O’Brien, a natural resource specialist with the St. Louis District’s Rivers Project Office, explained the event brought community members and organizations together along the river. “National Public Lands Day highlights our shared responsibility to protect and steward the natural resources entrusted to us,” O’Brien said. “I’m proud to bring partners and community members together to care for the Mississippi River and the public lands we all value.”

For Becker, an avid paddler and hiker, the Mississippi River and Riverlands offer opportunities to reconnect with nature. She hopes experiences like the Scouts' refrigerator recovery will inspire younger generations to continue caring for public lands. “Water is life,” she said. “It is important to protect these sacred spaces not just for ourselves but for everyone to feel welcome and understand that they are part of nature.”

Volunteer Cathysue Smick found her own connections along the shoreline. While working in the slough area, she watched several bald eagles hunting overhead and spotted grasshoppers, crickets and butterflies. She used the iNaturalist app to identify some of the insects she encountered.

One of her most meaningful moments, however, came from a conversation with a young girl attending her first cleanup with her father. Smick, participating in her third cleanup in the area, explained that litter often returns even after volunteers have spent hours removing it. She wanted the young volunteer to understand that their efforts still made a difference. “If nothing had been done in the last three years, think how horribly littered the area would have been,” Smick said.

The volunteers worked alongside one another throughout the morning, sharing discoveries and finding common ground in their time outdoors. By the end of the cleanup, the young volunteer and her father left knowing they had helped improve the area. “This simple act of picking up trash makes the environment a better place for our native plants and animals to live and build their own strong, healthy communities,” Smick continued. “It is an easy and effective way for humans to give back to Mother Nature.”

Cleanup efforts extended beyond the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, with several organizations coordinating activities along the Mississippi River. The Audubon Center at Riverlands assisted with volunteer coordination and cleanup activities. The Sierra Club Palisades Chapter held its annual shoreline cleanup at Maple Island, south of Melvin Price Locks and Dam, with support from Living Lands & Waters.

Volunteers from the Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri Stream Team also worked along the Mississippi River shoreline near Lincoln Shields Recreation Area after redirecting their originally planned Missouri River cleanup.

National Public Lands Day is an annual volunteer effort coordinated by the National Environmental Education Foundation. The 2026 theme, “Caring for Our Shared America,” emphasized the importance of protecting public spaces and strengthening community connections as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration.

For the Scouts retrieving a refrigerator, the young girl experiencing her first cleanup and the volunteers who returned to care for the land, the day offered more than an opportunity to remove trash. It was a chance to make a difference in the places they care about.

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