STE GENEVIEVE — The Missouri Stream Team is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.
Currently there are 6,680 Stream Teams in the state, and Brian Waldrop, who oversees the program and is a stream team coordinator biologist, says there’s always room for more.
“Our teams incorporate people of all backgrounds, occupations, and ages, as well as people from both urban and rural settings,” said Waldrop. “We have one thing in common–we like our rivers and streams to be clean.”
Waldrop will explain in his own entertaining way, the myriad of things that the Stream Teams do at a speaker presentation on March 20 at the Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center. The program sponsored by Mike and Jill Naeger of Naeger Forest Products will begin at 7 p.m. in the theatre room.
“I’ll introduce everyone to the Missouri Stream Team and do a bit of story telling, which I love to do,” Waldrop said. “Litter control, stream bank stabilization, stream side tree planting, water quality monitoring, storm drain stenciling, are just a few of the things we do. What we really like to do is empower local citizens to take ownership of their streams and flood plains.”
Waldrop says by getting involved with the Stream Team people will learn a lot more than picking up trash or tires, of which over 130,000 tires have been picked up over the years and thousands more to go. He says participants will begin to understand the science of what that trash can do the insects, fish and ground cover, and even what certain plants alone can do to our stream banks.
“Take the honeysuckle plant for example,” said Waldrop. “What could possibly be wrong with this? Well, this plant can form large dense stands that out compete native plant species. It can alter habitats by decreasing light availability, soil moisture and nutrients. It can also release toxic chemicals that prevent other plant species from growing. These chemicals can get into creeks and streams. So, we have crews that do nothing but cut down honeysuckle.”
Waldrop has been doing this for 30 years and has never thought of it as work.
“This is fun, it’s not work!” he said. “I love my job. It’s a blast.”
Waldrop plans to use the meeting on March 20 as an introduction to a creek cleanup and water quality demonstration in Ste. Genevieve in April. He’ll let the audience guide him to the location.
“When people are passionate about their streams and take ownership, it will make a difference,” he said. “I hope to light a fire and maybe we can start a team right here in Ste. Genevieve.”
Everyone who attends the program will walk away with a Missouri Stream Team shirt.
All presentations at the Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center are free to museum members, otherwise, museum admission will apply.
For more information, call 573-883-DINO.