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ANRA highlights outreach: thousands of 'Stash Your Trash' bags, volunteer training and a revived river rendezvous
Summary
The Angelina and Neches River Authority (ANRA) reported distributing thousands of reusable litter bags, expanded volunteer water-quality training and the successful return of the Nature’s River Rendezvous paddling event, which organizers said drew roughly 100 vessels and more than 100 volunteers.
The Angelina and Neches River Authority reported expanded outreach activities and volunteer monitoring efforts at a steering‑committee meeting, highlighting distribution of reusable litter bags and recent community events.
Kimberly Wagner, executive manager of communications at ANRA, said the authority has pushed the 'Stash Your Trash' campaign into local businesses and events and noted substantial public uptake. “We have now ordered, we just received a shipment of 15,000 of these bags, because we already, in less than about 2 and a half years, we distributed 10,000 of these bags to the general public,” Wagner said.
The program is intended to provide reusable, recyclable bags designed for recreation on waterways — for example, kayak users who tie a bag to their vessel to collect litter. Wagner said ANRA worked with local Keep Texas Beautiful affiliates and businesses to distribute bags and raise awareness.
Wagner also described ANRA’s volunteer monitoring and training work. She said she has trained “more than a 100 different volunteers” through Texas Stream Team sessions in the region, and ANRA pairs trainings with on‑the‑ground cleanups and student engagement.
The authority reported the Nature’s River Rendezvous paddling event returned after several years with roughly 100 vessels on the water, about 140 participants and more than 100 volunteers, which Wagner described as strong community support for conservation and recreation programming.
Wagner encouraged attendees to engage with ANRA’s outreach calendar and provided a point of contact: klagner@anra.org. She said more education, school presentations and future stream‑team trainings are planned.
Organizers said the investments in outreach are designed to increase volunteer monitoring capacity, reduce litter entering waterways and support long‑term stewardship of local rivers and creeks.
