Dr. Karen Bell

Keep Liberty Beautiful

October is one of those months when it seems like there’s a celebration or awareness event for just about everything. We recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month, National Noodle Day, and one of my favorites, National Make a Difference Day. Here in Liberty County, we celebrate National Make a Difference Day by getting outside, getting our hands dirty, and doing something that truly matters, like Rivers Alive!

This year, our Rivers Alive cleanup will take place on Saturday, October 24, at the Liberty County Community Complex, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and I hope you will make plans to join us. Now, I know picking up litter may not sound like the most exciting way to spend a Saturday. But let me tell you something: when you see how much trash our volunteers remove from our roadsides, parks, waterways, and public spaces, you realize how important this work really is. And here is something else to think about: litter travels.

That bottle, food wrapper, or plastic bag tossed out of a car window doesn’t necessarily stay where it was thrown. Rain can wash it into a ditch.

The ditch leads to a creek.

The creek leads to a river.

And eventually, that litter can make its way into our marshes and the Atlantic Ocean. That is why Rivers Alive is so important. We want to stop litter before it reaches our waterways.

I don’t know about you, but I want to enjoy our creeks, rivers, marshes, and coastal waters. I want our children and grandchildren to be able to fish, swim, kayak, boat, and explore these natural resources. And, of course, I want clean water for drinking and all the other things we depend on water to provide. The health of our waterways is connected to the choices each of us makes every day.

Rivers Alive is a statewide effort to preserve and protect Georgia’s waterways, and here in Liberty County, we have made it a community tradition. On October 24, volunteers will spread across more than 40 cleanup locations throughout Liberty County, working together to remove litter before it can continue its journey downstream.

That is a lot of territory, but Liberty County has a lot of water! Approximately 40 percent of our county is wetlands, marshes, creeks, streams, and rivers. Beautiful and important natural resources surround us, and protecting them is everyone’s responsibility.

Last year, 596 volunteers participated in Rivers Alive in Liberty County. This year, our goal is to have more than 650 volunteers. Can we do it? I think we can, but we need YOU!

We already have several groups registered, representing more than 72 volunteers. Thank you to all of the Adopt Liberty groups, families, and organizations that have already signed up. But we still have plenty of room for more. Think about what can happen when 650 people decide to spend a few hours making a difference. That is 650 people picking up litter that might otherwise end up in our waterways. It is 650 people showing our children what community service looks like. And it is 650 people saying, through their actions, “We care about Liberty County.”

Thanks to our wonderful sponsor, SNF Holding Company, we also try to make Rivers Alive a fun community event.

The first 650 registered volunteers will receive an official Rivers Alive T-shirt, and Keep Liberty Beautiful provides all the cleanup supplies.

After the cleanups, SNF Holding Company, Liberty County, and our local cities help provide lunch for our volunteers. We are incredibly thankful for this support. Events like Rivers Alive don’t happen without partnerships, and we are fortunate to have organizations and community leaders who understand the importance of protecting our environment.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your church involved. Bring your civic club. Organize your business team. Get the children involved with the family. Call your neighbors. Grab a few friends.

You don’t have to be an environmental expert.

You don’t have to spend all day. You simply need to show up, grab a pair of gloves, and be willing to help.

Register today for Rivers Alive 2026 on Saturday, October 24. You can register through the Keep Liberty Beautiful website and Facebook page. If you have questions, call Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 880-4888 or email klcb@libertycountyga.gov.

And if October 24 doesn’t work for your group, don’t worry. We can work with you to schedule a cleanup on another date. There is always an opportunity to make a difference.