Who says picking up trash can’t be fun? At Diventures, we make it a priority to be positive advocates for the health of our oceans and waterways. One way we put these words into action is by attending lake cleanups in our communities! Whether we are above or below the surface, we know the importance of keeping our waterways clean for all to enjoy.
Take a look at highlights from this year.
Atlanta
Our team in Atlanta is all about waterway cleanup efforts. This year they hosted four cleanups at different parks and beaches on Lake Lanier. Before they dive most areas of the lake, they gain approval from the Army Corps of Engineers.
These cleanups at Lake Lanier not only help keep waterways clean, but they offer a great opportunity to meet new dive buddies and expand their diving skills. After every cleanup the group gets together for a hotdog cookout and recounts the unique objects found below the surface.
This year, the Atlanta team pulled 265 lbs. of trash out of Lake Lanier! Unique items found included old coke cans and bottles and a teacup.
“Thank you for organizing such an amazing opportunity to help our lake.” The Atlanta divers appreciate the time and energy it takes to put together a lake cleanup. But, for the team, it’s a simple way to live out Diventures’ values and support our local waterways.
Omaha
Not all lake cleanups happen below the surface. This year, our Omaha team, in partnership with the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and Keep Omaha Beautiful, hosted five cleanups in the Omaha community.
After every cleanup event, the excitement and crew grew. By the second to last cleanup at Standing Bear Lake, over 58 people were in attendance, the biggest turnout yet in Omaha!
Each group received a bucket, a grabber tool and a trash checklist. The checklist helped count each separate piece of trash. At the end of the season, the overall debris was counted.
The most items found were 2,293 cigarette butts, 2,146 plastic pieces, 1,770 food wrappers and 888 pieces of paper. In total, 11,041 pieces of trash were collected, meaning that 11,041 pieces of debris did not enter our waterways!
Springfield
The Springfield team is a close-knit group of divers. Almost every weekend you’ll see divers from their Landlocked Scuba Club diving in surrounding area lakes and quarries. This year, the team participated in four very successful cleanups with each cleanup bigger than the last.
Our team in Springfield created strong ties with local lakes and organizations in the area. The most recent cleanup was in partnership with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources at Bennett Spring State Park. This cleanup had 37 divers in attendance. The water was a bit chilly, but that did not stop divers as they dove all three zones of the park.
“The group I was in completed the run and had a fantastic time doing it,” said Instructor Matt Ryle. “This is one of my favorite places to dive in Missouri!”
An annual favorite for Springfield divers is the H2Ozarks Annual Shoreline Cleanup. The team attended both weekend sessions with 15 divers attending the first session and 24 attending the second.
“Thank you so much for the sponsorship and the teams you organized,” said H2Ozarks Program Director Jerry Harman. “Diventures had the largest turnout for a business this year!”
H2Ozarks has a special place in the heart of Diventures Store Manager Ryan Oestreich. “I have
worked with H2Ozarks since I was a kid picking up trash on shoreline of Table Rock Lake, and I think it is awesome we now got a large team of divers that pick-up trash below the water every year!”
In total, the team collected almost 400 pieces of trash both weekends, including seven tires and one chair.
“It should be the responsibility of every diver to look after our water quality,” said Instructor Anthony Deets. “Water is our passion!”
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