GIVE THE CAHABA SOME LOVE!
4 reasons to give to Cahaba River Society on Giving Tuesday:
Protecting Your Cahaba River for 30 years!
Giving Tuesday is the perfect chance to make a difference that will start today and last for generations!
Donate to Cahaba River Society today to show your support for these 4 great reasons (and all the other ones) today!
Want to connect others to the chance to support the Cahaba? You can “Become a Fundraiser” in one click and spread the word!
1. I Drink, Therefore I Am ~ Protect Your Drinking Water
Did you know you are 60% water – made from the water you drink? Cahaba River Society safeguards the quality and cost of your drinking water.
We’re defending the Little Cahaba River and Birmingham Water Board lands that protect your drinking water source from the unnecessary and risky Cahaba Beach Road and bridge project (click to learn more). The Birmingham City Council just unanimously voted to oppose the project at the urging of Cahaba River Society and our partner groups!
All the work we do to restore the River’s water quality (see #2) also helps keep your drinking water healthy and treatment costs affordable.
We can’t do this alone! We multiply your support and our impact by partnering. Special thanks to Southern Environmental Law Center, Cahaba Riverkeeper, Little Cahaba property owners, and Alabama Rivers Alliance for their hard work on this campaign!
Support Cahaba River Society and give the gift of healthy drinking water!
2. Restore Your River – a Global Treasure
We tackle the River’s biggest pollution sources to restore the Cahaba’s water quality and habitat for diverse wildlife, and for people – like you.
Did you know the Cahaba is a biodiversity jewel, with more fish species per mile than any other river of its size or larger in North America? Don’t get us started on the cool diversity of turtles, crayfish, insects and other freshwater life, and how mussels lure fish to help them reproduce – weird!
The support of our members helped us clean up the River and make major progress on its biggest challenges. Together we ended crisis-level raw sewage dumping throughout Jefferson County. You helped us end the dumping of chicken processing waste and cut Cahaba nutrient pollution by half, greatly reducing the algae blooms that were choking the life from the River.
Cahaba River Society is leading the charge to transform design requirements for new development to curb the stormwater runoff that is polluting, eroding and flooding our waterways and communities.
Support Cahaba River Society and give the gift of clean water and healthy, diverse wildlife!
3. Give the Gift of Nature to Youth – Our Future River Guardians
The Cahaba River Society’s CLEAN Environmental Science Education Program is raising the next generation of Cahaba stewards and has brought over 37,000 youth and teachers to the River for hands-on science and volunteerism.
Urban youth are growing up cut off from and afraid of nature, and CLEAN is changing that! Can you imagine it – a 6th grader said that her class’s CLEAN trip was the longest she’d been outside. An 8 year-old boy told us that was the first time he had touched a tree.
Today’s youth are our future water managers, and CLEAN is making sure they understand where their drinking water comes from, why nature is important in their lives, and how to protect it. Your support helps us serve about 1800 youth each year, with a focus to ensure that urban youth and youth of color have this experience that also encourages healthy outdoor recreation and opens doors to environmental careers.
Support Cahaba River Society and give the gift of nature to our youth!
4. Have fun and do good!
Cahaba River Society ensures the growth of the Cahaba’s base of active and aware supporters by connecting people with the River for recreation and service. We’ve been leading canoe trips all along the River for 30 years – come with us! Check for our canoe schedule at www.cahabariversociety.org in March. Members get first dibs! And watch for the launch of the Cahaba Blueway water trail this spring, with signed River access and a website to help you enjoy your Cahaba visit!
We also run the largest volunteer community service program for the Cahaba. We’ve led over 700 volunteers in 30 work days over the last 2 ½ years, organizing projects with civic, corporate, school and faith groups to clean up the river, remove invasive plants, and restore riverside forest habitats. Contact Gordon Black to schedule a project for your handy volunteers at [email protected].
And, we are planning a new event, the Cahaba All River Cleanup. On June 8, 2019 teams will clean many sections of the River, from the water and the shore, and help get out the message that everyone can clean up the river by reducing littering.
Support Cahaba River Society and give the gift of clean water, service to community, and outdoor fun!
ABOUT THE CAHABA RIVER
The Cahaba River is the ecological heart of America’s Amazon – the Mobile-Tennesaw Basin. It is also Alabama’s longest remaining stretch of free-flowing river and a global treasure trove of biological diversity. In fact, it is one of the most biodiverse waterways on Earth!
Even more importantly, the Cahaba is one of the main drinking water sources for one-fifth of the state’s people in the Birmingham metro area.
Your support helps us continue to protect and fight for this iconic river that is the lifeblood for the people and wildlife of Alabama.