Author: Annette Wszelaki, Department of Plant Sciences

The Tennessee Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta partnered with One Health and the Tennessee River Line to clean-up First and Third Creeks in kayaks in September and October. Trash that doesn’t find its way into a trashcan, often finds its way into a body of water and both First and Third Creeks empty right into the Tennessee River.

These local waterways are home to more forms of life than any other river system in North America. More than 100 species of freshwater mussels and 270 species of fish are found here, including some not found anywhere else in the world! As one of the pillars of Gamma Sigma Delta, taking care of our campus and the surrounding community helps to fulfill the service part of our mission.

Our October paddlers collected 7 bags of trash plus 5 big items for a total of 245 pounds of hard-to-reach trash. While the kayaks have been put up for the winter, we hope to resume creek clean-ups in the spring. Hope to see you on the water!