Community service and
citizen science at the headwaters
of the Mississippi River:
Thinking globally
and acting locally
to tackle plastic pollution
and RIVER ISSUES throughout our watershed!
Ready-Set-Action!
A joint "Source to Sea" effort in partnership with:
the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI),
the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP),
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
the National Geographic Society (NGS)
and
the Bemidji Rotary Club
in cooperation with
Mississippi Headwaters River Angels
and other local community organizations
and regional Rotary Groups
Join us for
river clean-up,
environmental
monitoring
and education!
Did You Know?
Plastic pollution is the biggest problem
affecting our oceans today--and most of it comes from the interior of our continents, flowing downstream on rivers to the sea.
Click on the images below to find out more!
 Litter from Lake Bemidji and its tributaries doesn't just disappear, it pollutes our local waterways and can travel far downstream from here |  The Mississippi River watershed drains more than 40% of the United States --and local litter problems often flow downstream |
|---|---|
 This past year, during litter pickups all along the Mississippi River, 72% of the litter collected was plastic |  Of the plastics collected along the river, most included plastic shopping bags and food wrappers, plastic bottles, and cigarette butts |
 Plastic litter also floats downstream to the Gulf of Mexico where it accumulates on coastal beaches and becomes part of a multi-ton swirling garbage patch offshore |  In these swirling garbage patches, river-borne litter mixes with plastic marine debris, 94% of which is cast off fishing line and fishing nets |
 Plastics in both river and marine debris harm wildlife through strangulation, suffocation and ensnarement |  Freshwater and marine animals also mistake floating litter for edible food, then die of starvation after consuming so much inedible plastic that it accumulates internally and causes blockage |
 Plastics in aquatic debris may break into smaller fragments, but these resist complete decomposition for up to 450 years |  Smaller plastic fragments in the form of microplastics have been found accumulating in the tissues of smaller aquatic organisms, and then accumulate up the foodchain to higher organisms (including humans) who consume them, possibly causing long term health problems |
 What is the answer? Citizens and scientists together can make a difference! Take part in clean-up projects and citizen science monitoring programs! |  A joint "Source to Sea" initiative has been launched to tackle this issue, with local community groups stepping up to take part in a river-wide partnership with local and regional Rotary Clubs,the MRCTI, UNEP, NOAA, & National Geographic |
 Efforts will focus on clean-up, environmental monitoring, and education. Join us! |
You can help in many ways!
-
Reduce your own personal use of plastics
-
-
Don't buy or use throwaway single-use items made of plastic
-
-
Don't litter, and pick up litter whenever you see it
-
-
Recycle plastics and other waste whenever possible
-
-
help educate your neighbors and community members on this issue
-
-
join comunity clean-up projects
-
-
help monitor litter flow into our river system by joining the Marine Debris Tracker Citizen Science Project
-
-
investigate other sources of local pollution affecting our local waterways, and be part of the solution to the problem
-
-
learn more plastic, pollution and monitoring throughout the Mississippi River watershed
YOU CAN HELP!
FOR MORE INFORMATION,
CHECK OUT THESE WEBSITES!
Learn more about global plastic issues and the new National Geographics
"Planet ot Plastic" Campaign
Learn More about the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as partner in this project
Learn more about the plastics monitoring project, including how to use the Marine Debris Tracker app, at the NGS site
Go to the Marine Debris Tracker website to download the app you need to participate in monitoring
Learn more about the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as partner in this project
Learn more about the the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) as partner in this project
Learn about "The Mississippi River Runs Through US" Rotary Initiative as partner in the project
Learn how to educate students and community groups about plastics pollution and monitoring through National Geographics free online professional development course
Learn about other Rotary International Environmental Projects here
Get all the latest on other Rotary activities here in Bemidji,
the first town on the Mississippi:
Attend a Bemidji-area river education workshop or borrow river education materials through the
River's Edge Geographics Teacher Resource Center !
