2020 River des Peres Trash Bash
Dates: xxx
Come out and help clean up the rivers and creeks within the River des Peres Watershed! Due to COVID-19, our annual clean-up event will be a little different, but we still need your help to take care of this valuable natural resource in our community. Volunteers and members of their immediate household can choose from multiple cleanup sites within the watershed. Instead of a one day cleanup, you can remove trash and debris at your chosen site anytime between October xx. On the last day of the event there will be a Watershed Picnic at Wilmore park where participants can celebrate their accomplishments and get prizes. Work gloves and trash bags will be provided. The event is free, but volunteers are asked to preregister to select a cleanup site and to help event organizers coordinate supplies.
Registration at Great Rivers Greenway!
Angie has over 15 years of experience in the fields of conservation planning, volunteer management, environmental consulting and native landscapes. In her current role with the Missouri Department of Conservation & Shaw Nature Reserve, Angie provides in-depth assistance on the planning and installation of urban native landscapes and engaging volunteers in the stewardship of those spaces. She is also a technical expert for both the Deer Creek Watershed Alliance and MSD Project Clear Rainscaping Programs which involves application review, ground truthing projects and offering additional program support as needed. Angie also manages the EcoCrew volunteer program on behalf of the South Grand Community Improvement District and leads monthly workdays. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the earthday365 and the River Des Peres Watershed Coalition nonprofit organizations and is the Chairperson for the Crestwood Beautification Committee. Angie received her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Biology from Drury University and earned a Master of Science in Biology with an emphasis in Ecology from St. Louis University.
Joe serves as a large river fish biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation and has worked on endangered species recovery, game and commercial fisheries management, and invasive species control for nearly 20 years. He has a Master’s in Natural Science from Southeast Missouri State University and conducted his thesis research on the bird communities of Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Joe has served as the treasurer at the state chapter and division levels of the American Fisheries Society as well as chairing a variety of other committees for the organization. He enjoys fishing for catfish and smallmouth bass and is an avid birder, annually conducting the Lincoln County route of the North American Breeding Bird Survey.
Besa joined operation clean stream in 1994 to pick up trash on the Huzzah river and has returned every year since. When she started doing trash pickups the canoes would return fully loaded with tires and appliances from dumping in the river, now the trash is mostly sunglasses and flip flops from paddlers capsizing. Trash pickups are not as challenging as they used to be but it is good to see the river being cared for. She now monitors Gravois Creek near her home and achieved level three Water Quality Monitor certification in 2016. She also volunteers for Missouri Master Naturalists, Wild Ones, and Stream Teams United. and previously served as treasurer of the River des Peres Watershed Coalition from 2016 to 2021. In summer Besa and her partner enjoy lazy multiday floats on the Eleven Point River and time at their favorite campsite on the Black River. Besa has a BA from Knox College in Environmental Studies and specializes in Missouri Native Plants.
Cathy worked as a civil engineer for over 30 years with a focus on geotechnical and environmental projects, including engineering support for multiple projects associated with the implementation of the Forest Park Master Plan. An avid gardener, Cathy has embraced native plants and is passionate about the value they provide particularly in urban settings from an ecological and stormwater management perspective. Since retiring she is an active volunteer with Forest Park Forever and St. Louis Audubon’s Bring Conservation Home program as a Habitat Advisor.
Doug is a long-time Stream Team volunteer with a love of all-things outdoors. One of Doug’s life goals is to pick up more trash than he produces. Doug earned his MBA in 2005 and has extensive expertise in business development, event logistics and management. Doug has over 15 years of senior management experience in the convention and trade show business. Doug’s professional experience with The Huntington’s Disease Society and The Alzheimer’s Association helped him to enhance his volunteer management and motivation skills while honing his development skills.
Zoe has been an adjunct faculty instructor teaching general education biology courses in the St. Louis area for 19 years. She has a Master’s in Biology from University of Central Missouri and is a Level 3 trained Water Quality Monitor volunteer with Missouri Stream Team. Zoe has been an active participant in River des Peres Watershed Coalition’s water quality monitoring projects such as the Bike with Your Boots On events on River des Peres Greenway and Gravois Creek Greenway and the annual Trash Bash for several years. She is also serving on the RdPWC Board of Directors. Zoe is a bird-watching enthusiast and loves to keep companion dogs.
Hannah is St. Louis born and raised, strives to give back to the region and parks that fostered her love for community togetherness and spending time outdoors. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton in Human Rights Studies, with a focus on sustainability and community engagement. Hannah is currently the Community Conservation Coordinator at Missouri Botanical Garden’s sustainability division (EarthWays Center) where she helps coordinate community volunteer events, writes the BiodiverseCity St. Louis e-newsletter, leads citizen/community science initiatives such as the City Nature Challenge, and more. In her free time, you can find Hannah hiking in one of Missouri’s beautiful green spaces, checking out local coffee shops and breweries, or spending quality time with friends and family.
Jenna has a degree in Environmental Engineering from Missouri S&T and is currently the Green Infrastructure Manager at Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District. In the MSD Planning department, she gets to focus on stormwater quality, flood prevention, and combined sewer overflow reduction. She has experience in large diameter tunnel construction and bioretention basin design, for both small-scale residential properties and large-scale redevelopment sites. In her free time, she enjoys float trips, swimming, biking, dancing and teaching her daughters to care for our rivers and environment.
Christy currently works in the Rug Care Center at Woodard Cleaning in Restoration. Her previous careers were in zookeeping (with great apes) and construction. She studied Environmental Science at Maryville after realizing she was much more passionate about the environment than the art she was studying at the School of the Institute of Chicago. Her parents are very environmentally conscious so she grew up with the 3 Rs and shown how to appreciate and respect nature. Her main hobbies are spending time with her pets, camping/being at the river, and eating delicious food.
San first got involved with Missouri Stream Team when she bought her house which backs up to Gravois Creek. She does biological and chemical monitoring and moving toward native landscaping starting with a Rain Garden that has expanded, a rain barrel that she made at a workshop and fights the good fight with invasive honeysuckle. She recently joined the River Des Peres Watershed Coalition and is enjoying learning more ways to be a good environmental steward. San retired from a 20+ year career at a community mental health agency and now does part-time counseling on line.