David's SACC Fundraising Team

I grew up fly-fishing near Sierra City with my grandfather who taught me to "Leave No Trace", even if that meant packing out trash left by others. I casually and happily lived that lifestyle for many years. But about 3 years ago something drastically changed - I discovered the terribly trashed waterways of Sacramento that flowed unfiltered into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, San Francisco Bay and beyond. I was horrified.

In 2021, I teamed up with like-minded folks to clean several local waterways (the Sacramento and American Rivers, Steelhead Creek and Arcade Creek). In that year, our group (affectionately nicknamed the "Badgers" due to our proclivity to dig large trash debris out of the waterways), removed over 125,000 pounds of trash. In 2022, the Badgers led cleanup events that removed over 670,000 pounds of trash. 

Despite these accomplishments, some of us felt things were moving too slowly and that conditions in Sacramento waterways needed more attention and advocacy. Thus, on Jan 13, 2023, myself and 3 amazing friends launched River City Waterway Alliance (RCWA). In so doing, we teamed up with several incredible pioneer waterway stewards and added to our Badger force. In our first year (2023), RCWA volunteers removed over 1.1 Million pounds of trash, won a couple of prestigious environmental awards and influenced important political changes.

Recently, during April 2024, the Badger crew passed 2 MILLION pounds of trash removed since 2021. Sadly, there is much work left to be done.

I am now on the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Area Creeks Council (SACC). SACC aims to preserve, protect, restore and maintain the natural streams in our urban communities through education, advocacy, financial support and technical expertise.  

SACC is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that also raises funds and supports groups like RCWA. Donations to SACC support the purchase of tools, event supplies, volunteer refreshments, and fuel. All donations are leveraged by donations from other individuals, grants, and in-kind support from public agencies and the hundreds of hours donated by local volunteers to protect and restore Sacramento’s waterways.

Please give during the donation window, now through May 2, 2024. The minimum gift is $10, but even small donations can make a big difference. Contributions are tax deductible. Federal ID # 26-3676166.

Thank you very much for your support.