A river runs through it...

If we think of the earth as a body, just like ourselves, in that everything is interconnected from one part of that body to another, it’s easy to see why it is so important to take good care of our rivers, streams and all other sources of water. Water is the lifeblood of this planet and, in turn, all of us who inhabit it. All water is connected in a continuous flow from clouds to mountains to streams then to rivers and lakes and then to the ocean where it is evaporated back into clouds again.

So when an oil spill occurs in the Gulf of Mexico and the water becomes contaminated, that same water could eventually end up in your kitchen faucet. In the same way, when your neighbor dumps his old house paint into your local river or even in the alley behind your house, that now-dirty water becomes part of your system of fresh water.

June is National Rivers Month. To commemorate it, why not help to celebrate the beauty of our natural rivers? One way is by participating in river clean-ups that are going on all across the country in conjunction with AmericanRivers.org. When you pitch in to clean up a river, you’ll get something in return; you’ll know that you’ve done your part to help save this planet for future generations and you’ll help to ensure that you and your family will have clean drinking water the next time you turn on your faucet.

“Healthy rivers mean healthy communities. By participating in a river cleanup, people can help serve their communities and make an immediate impact,” said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers. “Residents of all ages can volunteer – for an hour or a day – to help clean the river they care about.”

In addition to the American Rivers web site, potential volunteers can find river cleanups near them on Facebook, VolunteerMatch.org and USAService.gov. Last year was American Rivers’ most successful year yet with more than 300,000 volunteers removing more than 2,400 tons of trash from more than 50,000 miles of our rivers. This year, American Rivers is on track to clean even more river miles.

See ya’ down at the river.

Visit www.AmericanRivers.org/Cleanup today to join in and make a difference in your community.