Parade Magazine Earth Day special features Black Warrior Riverkeeper

Just in time for Earth Day, Parade Magazine is featuring one conservation business/organization from each state in a story titled – “Earth Day Across America – 50 Earth Saving Projects in Every State.”

Who earned the honor for Alabama? 

Birmingham-based Black Warrior Riverkeeper  (BWRK)

700+ Newspapers

Appearing in Parade is a pretty big deal. 

The magazine is inserted in over 700+ Weekend/Sunday newspapers across the nation, usually squeezed in between the comics and weekly grocery store ads. 

According to Parade they have a weekly circulation of 32 million with 54 million readers.

When I was growing up, on Sunday mornings, I would read the sports pages, Doonesbury and Peanuts comics and then check out Parade.  It was pithy, with interesting “did you know-like” tidbits of interesting facts and stories.  

Black Warrior Riverkeeper

If you care about clean water, you can see why Parade chose the Black Warrior Riverkeeper to represent Alabama.

Established in 2001, the Black Warrior Riverkeeper is part of the national Waterkeeper Alliance and regional Waterkeepers Alabama. In the yellowhammer state, presently, there are 10 Waterkeeper member organizations working in watersheds, bays, rivers and creeks. Each group is dedicated toward ensuring drinkable, fishable and swimmable water for all Alabamians.

Excerpt from Parade 

Clean water is what binds us all together, and that is exactly how Charles Scribner, BWRK’s Executive DIrector proclaimed in the Parade story.

Here is an excerpt from the story:

“We live in divisive times, but “there is an essential element that can unite us: water.” So believes Charles Scribner, executive director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper, a nonprofit committed to cleaning up and protecting the 6,276 square miles of Black Warrior River watershed in the state. 

The story recognized the organization’s accomplishments are the past year which includes:

• Investigating a wastewater spill that killed some 175,000 fish in one of the Black Warrior’s three major tributaries; 
• Monitoring 73 facilities in 17 counties; 
• Winning a ruling against a mine company that was violating the Clean Water Act.”

Visit and Support Your Local Waterkeeper

Scribner told us that he also wanted to take the opportunity to promote Waterkeepers – nationally and locally. He added:

“We are so grateful that Parade, America’s most read magazine, selected Black Warrior Riverkeeper to represent Alabama in their national cover story on Earth Day. Each of the 50 state’ entries  includes a suggestion for how readers can help, and since Parade’s readership is national, I decided to highlight how folks anywhere can find and support their local Waterkeeper by visiting Waterkeeper.org.  Similarly, Alabamians can find and support their local Waterkeeper by visiting WaterkeepersAlabama.org where they can use their new interactive map.”

When is Earth Day?

The 50th Anniversary of Earth Day is fast approaching.  The date: Wednesday, April 22nd.  

Even though there are no outdoor public events, be on the lookout for events in the Bham Now Nonprofit Directory, which has 80+ organizations and 10+ conservation/nature groups.  Visit the directory – HERE.

• Disclosure: I am a member of the Black Warrior Riverkeeper Advisory Council and Bham Now President Cindy Martin is the President of BWRK’s Board.