Help Bash Trash at Cape LaCroix Creek

Missouri Department of Conservation Naturalist Sara Turner said the Bashin' Trash event scheduled for April 18 has been succesful in years past because families and organizations from the community come together to volunteer for the day. (MDC photo by Sara Turner) [Click to enlarge]

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- What do a stove top, a DVD player and a car door have in common? They were all pulled out of the Cape LaCroix Creek during last year's Bashin' Trash event organized by the Missouri Department of Conservation in Cape Girardeau. The organizer of the event, Sara Turner, said she can't wait to see what the group will find this year because the trash pollutes waterways and affects aquatic wildlife.

"It's also just plain ugly to look at, especially if you're using the recreational trail," Turner said.

This year's Bashin' Trash event is scheduled for April 18 from 8 a.m. to noon. Bashin' Trash is in its third year as a collaborative effort with the Cape Girardeau Parks & Recreation Department's Park Day. The parks and recreation department provides lunch and shirts to participants and removes the piles of trash afterwards, Turner said.

Groups, families and individuals can register to participate through the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center, and will be assigned to a specific section of Cape LaCroix Creek along the four-plus miles of walking trail.

Turner said the group used canoes for the first time in 2008 and were able to get to trash in the creek that those walking couldn't access.

"We need experienced paddlers willing to canoe the various sections and get to the harder areas to retrieve trash in the water," she said.

According to Turner, the event continues to be a community-wide effort including families, public service organizations, and church groups as well as Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center club members, volunteers and staff.

"People have traveled from Fredericktown, Benton, and many towns in between to help us with this project," she said.

To register to help bash trash or for more information on the event, contact Sara Turner at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center, (573) 290-5218.