Our crew set up camp on Wednesday afternoon at a longtime crew member’s property just across from the Bonnots Mill River Access. After setting up camp, we enjoyed a hearty meal cooked by Soda Popp, a perfect start to our river week. By Thursday, more crew members arrived, and we capped off the day with a sunset boat ride to celebrate our hardworking team.

Friday morning was our trash scout, where the MRR crew took a few boats out to map out trash sites along the Osage and Missouri River. That evening, we gathered to finalize operations and enjoy another night under the stars before the big cleanup out of Bonnots Mill.

The MRR Crew heads out the day before the cleanup to pre-scout and map the sites. Photo by Harry Katz.

Saturday was cleanup day! 123 general volunteers joined 39 crew members at the Bonnots Mill Access for a morning of muddy boots, full trash bags, and a whole lot of teamwork. Groups fanned out to pre-scouted sites on both the Missouri and Osage, loading their boats with tires, barrels, bottles, and all sorts of river-washed relics. Our friends at Missouri River Bird Observatory led a Brand Audit, sifting through bags of collected litter to identify top corporate polluters – valuable data that helps guide global change.

A volunteer attempts to pull a tub from the shallow water in the Osage River. Photo by Harry Katz.

By the end of the day, we had hauled in 2.45 tons of landfill-bound trash (about 140 bags!) and 100 tires of all shapes and sizes. The crew separated the tires and scrap metal to be recycled, and the rest was loaded into a 30-yard dumpster donated by Republic Services and hauled away from the riverbanks for good.

We loved seeing so many familiar faces and fresh energy on the water! Fun team names like Thalwegs, Sparkling Hamsters, Purple Potato Fish, and Mud Larks captured the playful spirit of the day. Volunteers came from Missouri S&T’s Civil Engineers and Water Environment Federation, Lincoln University’s Tri-Ag Club, New Haven High School NHS, and Scout Troop 3011, along with dedicated Stream Teams and local families who gave their Saturday to the river.

Volunteers share a laugh while moving muddy trash off the river. Photo by Harry Katz.

Our Bonnots Mill cleanup was made possible by the support of our sponsors and partners: Union Pacific, Conservation Federation of Missouri, Republic Services, Missouri American Water, Missouri River Bird Observatory, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Missouri Stream Team.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out for a day of service to the Big Muddy and the Osage! With your help, we’ve kept 3.85 tons of trash from reentering these rivers.

Check out our trash tally from the cleanup below!