Art, Action, and Awareness: Tennessee Aquarium Hosts River Cleanup

They came with gloves, garbage bags—and a mission.

At Renaissance Park, the Tennessee Aquarium joined forces with Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom: Protecting the Wild and Oregon-based nonprofit Washed Ashore for a community river cleanup. The goal: raise awareness about the growing impact of plastic pollution on freshwater ecosystems.

Wild Kingdom hosts Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant rolled up her sleeves to take part in the effort—using their national platform to shine a light on a very local issue.

“We’re partnering with the Tennessee Aquarium and Washed Ashore, which aims to create art using plastic trash found in water,” said Dr. Wynn-Grant. “We’ve got campers from a couple of local programs, and we’re picking up plastic. Every little bit we clean up helps strengthen this ecosystem.”

Brad Parks, conservation and education director for Washed Ashore, says the timing of the cleanup is no coincidence.

“The July 4th holiday often leads to a spike in water pollution,” Parks said. “Whether it’s water bottles, plates, or picnic supplies, we want people to think about how they can reduce trash—especially near rivers and beaches.”

Washed Ashore also brought one of its latest art installations to the Aquarium: Bill the Coho Salmon, a towering sculpture made entirely from plastic debris collected on Oregon beaches. The piece is on display now through July 6 outside the Aquarium’s River Journey building.

The message from all three organizations is clear—every piece of trash removed, and every conversation started, matters.