(Radio Iowa) – An environmental advocacy group is launching a new river clean-up project with an event in Des Moines this week to introduce the effort and recruit volunteers. Luke Hoffman, is a native of Thurman, in Fremont County. He’s the executive director of Iowa Rivers Revival, and says the Service Squad program is designed to create a comprehensive service learning and action network that will clean up Iowa’s waterways.  “We’re doing that in a way that it’s not just another river cleanup,” Hoffman says. “It’s not just about picking up trash, there’s that component, too, but it’s also a family-friendly festival about building community, educating folks about the importance of water, and building access points so that people can really enjoy those rivers and streams.”

Through a quarter-million dollar grant, the Service Squad will host between eight and ten river clean up projects each year over the next three years. Hoffman says the program will create cleaner rivers, educate Iowans on the importance of clean waterways, and organize for legislative action on issues relating to water trails, water quality, river restoration and more. “The theme is all about building partnerships and collaboration,” Hoffman says. “We didn’t invent river cleanups but what we do want to do is, if your listeners go to our website, they can find any cleanup or submit one if they want to organize one themselves on our website. You can just do that at IowaRivers.org/squad.” A

As a southwest Iowa native, Hoffman says he developed a passion for the water early on. “One of the things that I really cherish about my childhood was following the stream with my dog,” Hoffman says. “I wasn’t thinking about was the river clean or not, I just was enjoying it. That experience of adventure, that sense of being able to appreciate and enjoy, that’s what we want all future generations to be able to have, free from the concern of whether or not that water is going to do you any harm.”

The kickoff event is today (Friday), from 5-7 P-M at Big Grove Brewery in Des Moines. RSVP for the event at: iowarivers.org. The first clean-up event is scheduled for Saturday on North Walnut Creek in Urbandale.