Drink More Beer, Help Protect the Schuylkill River

Buy Sierra Nevada beer this month and
help protect the Schuylkill River.

Probably one of the better times I've had in my life is paddling the full length of the Schuylkill River as part of the Schuylkill River Sojourn in 2000

Here are some links to some of what we wrote about that trip that can still be found on our claptrap web site:

• A journey of rediscovery on the river: May 27, 2001.
• The story behind the sojourn: May 30, 2001
• Day 1: The journey begins: May 30, 2001
• Day 5: Competitive spirit gets us over the dam: May 30, 2001
• (I know, I know, "What happened to Days 2 through 4?" you ask. Well as anyone who has ever tried to find articles on our web site knows, it's a crap shoot so this is what I could find.)

Mercury Reporter Brandie Kessler
with her trusty kayak

 (And by the way, our support of the Scuylkill River Sojourn continues this week with reporter Brandie Kessler who, just a few years younger than this old dog, is live-blogging about the trip. If you haven't seen her blog, you can check it out here.)

Anyway, part of that good time on the sojourn, I don't mind saying, had to do with the well-deserved beer(s) then-Mercury Photographer Dan Creighton and I consumed at each night's stop.

You might say the sojourn and beer are intertwined in my memory.

So I was particularly pleased to see that one of the nation's better beer companies -- Sierra Nevada --has undertaken an initiative to divert part of its profits to preserving "Wild Rivers."

The timing is, of course, excellent as the paddlers are now making their way down the river through whatever safety allows amidst some pretty nasty thunderstorms.

During the Schuylkill River Sojourn,
a "traffic jam on the Schuylkill" has
a whole different
meaning.

Better than the timing is the fact that one of the organizations to benefit is the Delaware Riverkeeper which, among other things, has a branch of its organization that keeps an eye on the biggest tributary of its river system, our own Schuylkill River.

So in honor of the fact that today is my 48th birthday, I am going to do something I don't often do -- a commercial. Buy Sierra Nevada beer folks. A lot of it. Enjoy it safely. Help the protect river on which much of our future in all likelihood depends.

Here is their press release announcing the initiative:
 
Chico, CA – Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.—a pioneer in sustainability and craft brewing—announced today the launch of “Wild Rivers.”

In its fourth year, Wild Rivers is a campaign dedicated to helping preserve vital
waterways across the country.

For every 12-pack of Pale Ale and Sierra Nevada seasonal beer purchased in the U.S. from June 1 through
July 7, Sierra Nevada will donate a portion of proceeds to river conservation-focused partners across the
country, including the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, a non-profit based in Bristol, PA.

Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman has been known to enjoy
a beer now and then.

This is the Delaware Riverkeeper Network’s second year as a “Wild Rivers” partner.
“Great water is essential to making great beer,” said Ken Grossman, Founder and President of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

“We are committed to preserving natural waterways both in the Sierra Nevada that offer our
inspiration, and across the nation.

“We measure the success of our business not only on the quality of our beer, but also our contribution to a
healthy environment,” Grossman said.

The “Wild Rivers” partnership, which will be visible at retailers across the nation, aims to raise awareness and increase stewardship of rivers that sustain our communities and ecosystems.

Maya vanRossum is the Delaware Riverkeeper

Since the program’s start in 2009, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has donated more than $250,000 to its partners to help preserve vital waterways across the country.

“Sierra Nevada is known not only known for its quality and integrity, but for the environmental stewardship
trail they’ve blazed over the years,” said Maya K. van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper.

“We are proud to partner with such a great company, and with the public’s help, we can ensure that the Delaware River and its tributary streams are given high priority in all decision-making because our mutual greatest good comes from the preservation of our Watershed’s natural resources.

Besides the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, , the 2012 Wild Rivers campaign will support the Western Rivers Conservancy, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Ohio River Foundation, The River Project, and the Southeast Watershed Forum.

Through independent advocacy, and the use of accurate facts, science and law, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network works to ensure the rich and healthy future that can only exist with a clean, healthy and free flowing river system.