18-05-2025
Annual Kalamazoo River cleanup held on Saturday
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A major community effort on Saturday brought hundreds of volunteers to the Kalamazoo River. Not just to clean it up, but to reconnect with it.
Armed with gloves and trash bags, volunteers spent hours collecting debris from the water and riverbanks. Among the items pulled from the river were scrap metal, discarded needles and even a large stuffed animal.
The annual event is part of a growing initiative to restore the Kalamazoo River and reestablish it as a shared public resource. It was organized by the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council, the Rotary Club of Kalamazoo, LINK Kalamazoo, and several local environmental groups.
'It's important because the river is a critical quality of life asset,' said Doug McLaughlin, executive director of the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. 'It's important for our community. It's important for all of the communities up and down the river and for the region.'
The event also aimed to highlight decades of environmental recovery along the river. Once heavily polluted, the Kalamazoo River has seen significant improvement in water quality and habitat restoration in recent years, though advocates say there is still a lot more work to be done.
'We're out here trying to clean up the environment, help the ecosystem and we are looking to activate the river for this community,' said Kalamazoo resident Andrew Hopson, who volunteered Saturday morning.
Garrett Bruns, another participant, said events like this demonstrate the community's investment in creating a more livable city.
'I love living in a city where people can come together with a common goal and really help something that benefits us all,' Bruns said.
Information on how to get involved is available at
Last year's cleanup brought out about 300 people and removed more than 8,000 pounds of debris. This year's final total is still being calculated. Organizers say they're already planning next year's event and hope to expand it further.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
