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Mark Nixon was BWL’s communications director from 2006-2011, who left a lasting legacy behind after he started our beloved Adopt A River (AAR) event over 30 years ago. We invited him to pen this article in celebration of the event last year, which now serves to be a sweet tribute after his recent passing.  

“I was walking along Lansing’s River Trail in the summer of 1993, and noticed a huge amount of trash along the river banks. It was disgraceful. Michigan’s longest river, which runs through the heart of Michigan’s capital city, was being used as a dumpster. 

At the time, I was the editorial page editor at the Lansing State Journal and part of my job was calling attention to challenges facing our community. There I was on a sunny summer day, with a challenge staring me in the face. 

An idea formed in my head that a program similar to Michigan’s successful Adopt a Highway program might just be the remedy for cleaning up the Grand. What followed was a series of editorials entitled Grand Vision, which among other things, called for a community effort called Adopt a River. The community response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. That spurred a series of summits where activists and organizations voiced support for Adopt a River. 

Leading the way on this effort was the Lansing Board of Water & Light. Adopt A River may have been a vision of one guy on a riverside stroll but making it a reality was clearly the work of the utility. From the beginning, Lansing’s hometown utility has been the heart — and the sustained driving force — of Adopt a River.  

The fact that 30 years later volunteers still amass along the Grand and Red Cedar rivers each spring is a testament to BWL’s lasting commitment. I remember the very first Adopt A River in 1994. It’s easy to recall the date — May 21 — my birthday. I stood on the Shiawassee Street bridge that sun-splashed Saturday morning and looked at the riverfront below. What I saw brought a lump to my throat. There they were: an army of volunteers armed with trash bags and a desire to make our community a better place. It was the BWL that brought them together that morning, as it has each year since 1994. Adopt A River became more than a clean-up effort. Beginning with that first year, BWL has given away young trees for free in hopes the volunteers will take them home and plant them in an appropriate spot — away from power lines.  

On our property stands a white pine that I’d guess is nearly 50 feet tall. I’ve watched this tree grow for 30 years. Yep, I planted it the day after the very first Adopt A River. 

Thank you, Lansing Board of Water & Light — for the tree, for a cleaner river and your unstoppable community spirit.”