Rivers connect us

To our American Rivers family,

All of you – our supporters, partners and friends – are in my thoughts during these challenging times. I wanted to let you know how our organization is adapting to keep ourselves and our communities safe, and how we are continuing our important work for rivers and clean water.

We closed our headquarters and field offices on March 13 and staff have been working from home. We cancelled all work travel and postponed National River Cleanup® events. We are moving forward with the release of our report, America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2020, on April 14, which will spotlight solutions for rivers and communities in the face of climate change.

I am grateful for the continued support of our dedicated members and donors. And, I am grateful for our staff, who continue to do an incredible job under difficult and unprecedented circumstances.

This pandemic is devastating families and communities nationwide. It is disrupting so many aspects of our lives. In the midst of the fear and uncertainty, I’ve been reflecting on the persistence of rivers. I recently came across this line by the poet Alex Dimitrov: “Time is a river. That river is always in motion. And motion is hope.”

We will get through this. Our work will continue. And when individuals and communities are ready to heal, their rivers will be there: a source of health, strength and opportunity.

A source of life.

I’ve always loved our tagline, Rivers Connect Us. In this time of social distancing, I’m feeling the power of that statement more than ever. Rivers connect us to each other, to the wonder of the natural world, and to our future.

American Rivers has been advancing solutions for healthy rivers and communities for nearly 50 years. And together with you, we will continue — doing everything in our power to make our shared future prosperous, beautiful and bright.

Bob

P.S. – To pass the time, and to fill your heart and mind with positive stories while you are staying home, watch one of our short films, listen to our We Are Rivers podcast, or – if you have kids at home — download our learning guide for parents and teachers.