Living Lands & Waters

Living Lands & Waters is a 501c3 industrial-strength river cleanup organization started 21 years ago by Founder & President, Chad Pregracke. In those 21 years, we've had the pleasure of working side by side with over 115,000 volunteers who have helped us remove over 10.5 million pounds of garbage from 24 rivers in 21 states! Check out this video to learn more about our mission to clean up America's rivers. #501c3 #volunteer

We Are LLW. Throughout the year, we’ll be reintroducing you to the faces of LL&W, from crew to volunteers and those we call on when we need a hand! Meet Rachel - LL&W Mississippi River Institute Manager! Rachel hails from a little town in southeast Wisconsin, so it’s no surprise she enjoys cheese, beer, and the Green Bay Packers. In March 2019, Rachel volunteered with LL&W during Alternative Spring Break, which led to her joining the team as Educational Coordinator in July of the same year. Before moving to the Quad Cities, she completed her undergrad studies at UW-Stevens Point, earning a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Education. Rachel took a sabbatical from the crew between March 2022 and June 2024 and, upon her return, took on the exciting new role of Mississippi River Institute Manager! She will travel with the new classroom, host student groups, and teach them all about working on the river. Rachel is known for her infectious laughter, boundless positivity, and willingness to help out wherever needed. In her spare time, she enjoys backpacking (having thru-hiked both the CDT and Arizona Trail), identifying wildflowers, and showering all the crew pups with love. We’re lucky to have Rachel’s bright spirit and dedication on our team. #livinglandsandwaters #wearellw

It’s National Recycling Day! We like to refer to our fleet as a “floating recycling center” because after we pick up the trash, we’re able to sort it out amongst our barges for proper recycling and disposal. But let’s not forget that recycling is at the bottom of the three-tiered, good karma totem pole. (Right below reducing and reusing!) Because the less we use & consume, the less we have to worry about recycling. So today, try using one less piece of plastic. Together, we could make a huge impact! #nationalrecyclingday #americarecyclesday #livinglandsandwaters #rivercleanup

Education on the new Mississippi River Institute barge is full steam ahead! So far this fall, we have hosted 25 workshops in Alton, IL & St.Louis, MO, for 501 students, as well as offered the space for 29 meetings/events for 464 attendees! Our flabber is gasted by this great response to our new maritime industry education program & we cannot wait to see what lies ahead in Memphis, TN, and St. Paul, MN! From students to teachers and guest speakers to group leaders - thank you to all who have joined us so far this year! You can learn more about the MRI and its programs by visiting https://lnkd.in/gbxerGqZ! #education #maritime

In the past few months, we’ve had the joy of hosting 13 free educational workshops on our Floating Classroom, welcoming 273 amazing students! Spanning from Augusta, KY to Louisville, students from 11 different schools got up close and personal with the Ohio River, learning about why rivers matter and the importance of keeping them clean. ?? Big thanks to all the curious minds and brave teachers who joined us out here! #education #workshops #livinglandsandwaters

We Are LLW. Throughout the year, we’ll be reintroducing you to the faces of LL&W, from crew to volunteers and those we call on when we need a hand! Meet David - LL&W Crew Member! David Solbrig, also referred to as Tree Ninja, is a native of the Quad Cities who joined Living Lands & Waters in the summer of 2023. After graduating from Iowa State University in 2019 with a degree in Forestry, he traveled across the Midwest working in urban forestry. Now, as a passionate environmental guardian, David is dedicated to cleaning up the landscape, piece by piece. When he's not in his work boots on muddy shores, David enjoys relaxing with a good book in the grass. He’s also a master of stone-skipping, a Dungeon Master extraordinaire, and a fan of cartoons. Whether he's hauling debris from the Mississippi's depths, helping the crew identify tree species, or memorizing US state birds, David finds his ultimate joy in nature's wonders. We’re thrilled to have David’s dedication and tree ninja skills on our team! #livinglandsandwaters #wearellw

Y'all, it has been a wild month chock full of great work! On Tuesday, a fantastic group from American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) joined us on the Ohio River in Louisville. Together with 22 volunteers, we removed 4,718 pounds of garbage! That means that in October alone, we cleaned up over 60,000 pounds of trash. ?? That's a little spooky, hey? As always, thank you to ACBL for their unwavering support of our mission. ?? #livinglandsandwaters #rivercleanup

Built tough? You bet! ?? This incredible team of Louisville Ford employees brought their strength to the Ohio River, helping us pull 1,663 pounds of trash! Huge thanks to Ford Motor Company and each volunteer for their support and human-power! And shout out to Trees Louisville, Louisville Waterfront Park and Louisville Deputy Mayor for also stopping by! #livinglandsandwaters #rivercleanup #louisville #kentucky

Earlier this month, we joined our pals at Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful to help tackle a massive cleanup on Lake Fontana in Almond, NC, and let's just say—those TWELVE dumpsters never saw it coming. Over three days, we hauled out a whopping 30,168 pounds of trash with the help of dedicated volunteers and a whole fleet of boats. Big thanks to everyone who came out, rolled up their sleeves, and crushed it. And to all who hosted and planned these great cleanups! Lake Fontana, you’re looking pretty sharp right now. ?? #livinglandsandwaters #rivercleanup

Big stat news! We’ve officially worked on 27 rivers and in 22 states! ?? Recently, we had the opportunity to help out our friends at Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful with cleanups on Fontana Lake, a reservoir on the Little Tennessee River in North Carolina! Both new areas to us! More photos and stats from these epic cleanups to come tomorrow. In the meantime, check out these views! ?? #livinglandsandwaters #rivercleanup #cleanrivers