Upriver Scrub seizes the day, Lambert wins the REI Raffle

Over 100 people participated in Upriver Scrub last Saturday. Land teams did clean up at Stateline, Harvard Road, Barker Road, Sullivan, Mirabeau and Boulder Beach. Said Andy Dunau, “These are all Spokane River Water Trail locations, and our commitment with partners is to continue protecting and restoring them. Upriver Scrub is a critical part of meeting our commitment.” Click on our photo album for pictures.

The Forum partners annually with Northwest Whitewater Association (NWA) to make Upriver Scrub happen. “One of NWA’s many contributions,” said Dunau, “is putting rafters out on the water to get to places and things the land teams can’t.”

Adding in the REI raffle added to the fun. Taryn Lambert, who worked the Harvard Road Upriver Scrub area with her husband Ron, was the winner. Said Taryn, “I’m impressed with how clean the river was. It’s like an easter egg hunt to find the trash. On the other hand, you find chairs and swings and it’s like ‘how did that get there?’ I will definitely do this again.”

Working together, the Forum and NWA recruited sponsors and participants that included Johnson Controls, REI, Mountaineer Foundation, Lands Council, Spokane Riverkeeper, Walmart, Direct TV and the American Canoe Association. Said Paul Delaney, the President of NWA, “I’ve lived in the Valley for over 20 years. Watching the river get cleaner and seeing more people enjoy and take care of it is really special.”

The Lands Council team, which included a number of students from Whitworth, added a restoration component to the day. Working with the Spokane Conservation District, they planted over 300 native plants at Stateline. This continues a very successful restoration project that we began last November.