St. Louis District supports National Public Lands Day, Sept. 24

Hundreds of volunteers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District lakes and recreational sites prepare to participate in the 18th annual National Public Lands Day, Sept. 24. National Public Lands Day is the largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands in the country. Nationwide, thousands of volunteers from coast to coast will come together to improve and restore lands and facilities Americans use for recreation, education, exercise and enjoyment.

Volunteers at St. Louis District sites will take part in trail maintenance, boardwalk construction, flowerbed maintenance, weeds removal and river, shoreline and roadways clean-up. Participating in National Public Lands Day is an opportunity to answer President Barrack Obama’s call to service in supporting America’s Great Outdoors initiative.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the nation’s leading federal provider of outdoor and water-based recreation. The St. Louis District is home to seven lake and river projects in Missouri and Illinois.

Activities around the St. Louis District will take place on September 24 at the following locations:

Rend Lake 

11981 Rend City Road 

Benton, Illinois 62812
Clean up the roadways and shoreline. Lunch is provided.
Contact: Dawn Kovarik

(618) 724-2493 

dawn.m.kovarik@usace.army.mil

Wappapello Lake 

10992 Highway T 

Wappapello, Missouri 63966
Litter removal along designated roadways and shoreline.
Contact: Andrew Jefferson

(573) 222-8562  

Andrew.Jefferson@usace.army.mil

Lake Shelbyville

RR 4 Box 128B 

Shelbyville, Illinois 62565
Flowerbeds maintenance and removal of weeds and debris.
Contact: Annie Hickman

(217) 774-3951 x2

LakeShelbyville@usace.army.mil

Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary Rivers Project Office 

301 Riverlands Way 

West Alton, Missouri 63386
Trail maintenance, boardwalk, construction and river clean-up.
Contact: Charles Deutsch

(636) 899-0082 

charlie.deutsch@usace.army.mil

Mark Twain Lake

20642 Highway J
Monroe City, MO 63456 

Weeds and leaves removal and bush planting.

Contact: Benjamin Sapp

573-735-4097 

marktwaininfo@usace.army.mil

National Public Lands Day at Mark Twain Lake September 24th

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers- St. Louis District
Mark Twain Lake Visitor Center

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Mark Twain Lake would like to invite the public to come celebrate the 18^th Annual National Public Lands Day on September 24^th with a variety of events planned throughout the day.  Come join others in the Nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort focused on preserving America’s Lands.  Start the day off in the morning by helping spruce up the M.W. Boudreaux Visitor Center between 9am – noon.  It doesn’t matter if it’s weeding, leaf removal or bush planting, every bit helps.  Plants and bushes will be provided courtesy of Hy-Vee on Broadway in Quincy, IL.  After all your hard work, reward yourself by building a bird house to take home with the help of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.  Then make sure to check out the rock and fossil showcase going on inside the visitor center.  Between 9am and 6pm, take a look at a mammoth’s hip and cast molds of raptor claws and T-Rex teeth!  

If you are in need of a little more physical activity, work on getting your group together to come compete in the First Annual “Trash Masters” competition that will start at the John F. Spalding Recreation Area at 1pm.  Teams of families, civic organizations, school clubs and church groups are encouraged to compete to see who can collect the most trash to prove that their group is at the “top of the heap.”  The winners will receive a plaque with a group picture for their group to display as well as their group’s name in the M.W. Boudreaux Visitor Center.  Most importantly, the winning group will also get a pizza party provided by Casey’s General Stores.

After all the day’s activities, head back to the visitor center by 6 p.m. to hear a talk on local geology.  Ranger Jose Garcia will discuss how the Salt River has shaped the area now known as Mark Twain Lake and left us with amazing vistas for everyone to enjoy.

The M.W. Boudreaux Memorial Visitor Center is located on Rt. J, just south of the Clarence Cannon Dam.  If you need additional information about any of the day’s activities listed above, please contact the Mark Twain Lake Project Office at 573-735-4097 or email us at marktwaininfo@usace.army.mil.