Stewardship Saturday!

For this week’s Stewardship Saturday, we will take a look at waterway cleanup veterans Illinois Paddling Council and their joint program with Openlands, Illinois Water Trailkeepers.

The Illinois Paddling Council, an ACA Paddle America Club dedicated to advocating for and promoting paddling in the state of Illinois, have won several awards for their stewardship work, including the 2013 ACA Green Paddle for Waterway Conservation award. The offshoot program, Illinois Water Trailkeepers, focuses on maintaining and improving water trails across the state of Illinois. 

This year, using L.L.Bean Club Fostered Stewardship grant funds, Illinois Water Trailkeepers will undertake a project that includes both waterway cleanups and watertrail improvement. On the cleanup side, Illinois Water Trailkeepers will host four community based cleanups, inviting the paddling community to join them as they maintain their waterways. On the water trail improvement side, the Illinois Water Trailkeepers will install signage for the first of four different “loops” of the Banner Marsh Water Trail, near Peoria, IL.

Learn more about the Illinois Water Trailkeepers.

Through funds provided by L.L. Bean, the ACA's Club Fostered Stewardship (CFS) Program has provided nearly $130,000 to over 135 different stewardship initiatives since its inception thirteen years ago.

Inspired to start your own local stewardship project? Apply for the CFS grant next year! Get more information here. Or just order yourself a Paddle Green Bag and take it with you the next time you hit the water. 

Stewardship Saturday is an ongoing theme of the ACA Water Blog where we we shine a spotlight on organizations and individuals who are working hard to make the world a better place to paddle. Want to be featured? Email ACA Communications Coordinator Catharine Lloyd at clloyd@americancanoe.org to tell her about the stewardship work you are doing in your local community.

Paddle often, #PaddleGreen!