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When people think of the Little Miami River, the first thing that may come to mind is an idyllic retreat, bringing to mind a nostalgic love of nature and the outdoors, canoeing and kayaking, fishing, hiking, or biking. Hopefully the last thing people think of is a place to dump unwanted trash and --- tires?
Yes, that is correct, the Little Miami State and National Scenic River is sometimes used as a personal dumping ground. Why is that a bad thing? Unfortunately, over time tires and trash pollute the pristine waters of the river, negatively affecting the water quality. Pollution negatively affects not only aquatic life, but the ecosystem of the Little Miami State and National Scenic River.
The long term presence of the tires and plastic trash can degrade overtime, producing micro plastics, and other chemicals, detrimental to the river's ecosystem. Frankly, it is just trashy. While we know that the Little Miami flows into the Ohio River and continues to the Mississippi, tires and trash in the Little Miami just sit, traveling no where. This pollution of the water and surrounding areas makes the Little Miami less palatable for all of those outdoor activities that we all enjoy.
The Contenders
Enter a couple of trash warriors, Bryan Wolf of Roads, Rivers, and Trails, and Mark Bersani of Loveland Canoe and Kayak. The kings of trash talking, each is vying for the coveted title of "Tire King of the Little Miami State and National Scenic River." Each man is on a mission to clear the Little Miami of tires and trash. Over the course of the summer, these aquatic trash collectors have conducted numerous Clean River Sweeps. Bryan Wolf is working on behalf of the Little Miami Conservancy. Mark Bersani is working on behalf of Adventure Crew. The race has heated up and will conclude September 30. To date, the Tire King Competitors have conducted multiple sweeps, collecting numerous tires and tons of trash including a 50 inch TV! All tires and trash have then been responsibly disposed of by numerous organizations and volunteers.
Local Celebrities
The public has followed both Wolf and Bersani's activity through news casts, online donations, cheering sections, and clean-up crews dedicated to keeping the Little Miami River a place to enjoy the great outdoors. Bryan and Mark have kept us in the know as they vie for the Tire King Challenge, and keep the level of trash talking - well - clean in nature.
Whoever wins this challenge, we know that the greatest winner is the Little Miami State and National Scenic River and the public who enjoy this gem of a river.
The public will have a chance to applaud their efforts and raise a celebratory pint on October 27th at Roads, Rivers, and Trails in Milford for the Tire King Coronation ceremony. More info to come soon!
You can help! Please consider donating in support of the Tire King Challenge.
Bryan is representing Little Miami Conservancy, you can donate by visiting:
Mark is representing Adventure Crew, you can donate by visiting:
