East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust has been cleaning on and around the Chunky River.

Those that live in east Mississippi and the surrounding areas enjoy taking advantage of our rivers and lakes, be it by canoe, fishing boat, or kayak. Nature has provided us with plenty of outdoor recreation.

"This river is a great resource for recreation," said Tommy Vincent, president of East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust. "People fish on it, they swim on it, they play in it. It is just a great river."

Tommy Vincent is the President of East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust. Twice a year he rounds up a team of volunteers to help clean the Chunky River. The goal is to keep the Chunky pristine for the the generations to come. Vincent often recruits young volunteers so that they can see just how destructive littering can be.

"It really gives you an opportunity to show what your impact does and where the trash that you throw out actually goes," said 10th grader Madeline Griffin.

Volunteers went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to cleaning the Chunky's waters. They floated in canoes, picking up floating trash. They walked the banks and picked up even more litter. And this group is worried about more than just litter.

"We also try to educate land owners about what they do, cutting timber, eroding the banks by building houses along side of it," said Vincent. "We try to educate the land owners so that they can help keep the river as pristine as it is right now."

Vincent says there are only about 2-3 designated scenic streams in the State of Mississippi and the Chunky River is one of them. He plans on keeping it that way. In the end over thirty garbage bags were filled.

If you have an interest in volunteering with East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust, you may call president Tommy Vincent at 601-484-2564.