For 4th graders at the New City School, their classroom study of rivers and streams turned into something bigger. Their out-of-class activities put them on the cover of the most recent Missouri Resources magazine.

In addition to the cover photo, the New City River Kids organization is featured inside in a 4-page article with full-color pictures in the most recent edition. The magazine is published by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The article told of the kids' work on cleanup on the River Des Peres, their tree-planting along the Missouri River and other activities.

The kids are hard at work on new projects. They'll sponsor a booth at the 2005 Earth Day weekend at Forest Park. At the booth, the kids will have homemade "earth, wind and water" bracelets and special River Kids T-shirts for sale.

Proceeds will be divided between the Earth Day organization and their club. The River Kids' share will go to expand their activities to save and improve area water resources.

Ten-year-old Riley Crockett produced the winning logo design

Meredith Littlejohn and Riley Corbett

that's going on the custom-made T-shirts.

A father of a New City School student, Jeff Stephens, is a graphic designer. He is helping to get the logo ready for use on the River Kids T-shirts.

Riley said he has a personal interest in Missouri's river and stream resources. "My grandpa takes us on canoe float trips and we camp overnight on the river banks," he said.

Riley said he enjoyed the opportunity to plant trees at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The trees were to help reforest the new Edward "Ted" and Pat Jones Confluence Point State Park.

He said, "Riverbanks need lots of trees to help control erosion and keep the soil stable."

Izzy Haverton and Corina Minden-Birkenmaier

Nine-year-old Izzy Haverton said one of her favorite River Kids activity was cleaning up River Des Peres. She said, "We found an old shopping cart, wheels and lots of junk."

Ten-year-old Corina Minden-Birkenmaier said, "Two of my friends found a swing set."

Corina said one of her favorite River Kids activities involved "making flyers that tell people about the rivers." She also told of the group's building of a river display that helped people to understand how water flows.

The kids built a model with hills along a river. They sprayed specially dyed water on the design to act like rain. People could follow the colored water as it flowed into the river.

Ten-year-old Lacee Dupart said her family enjoys outdoor

Theresa-Anne Naecker and Lacee Dupart

activities. She told of one trip on the Meramec River where the family stayed in a tent overnight. But, she said, "It rained and we sort of got wet."

Lacee said she's looking forward to the club's helping with the Run for the Rivers event at the upcoming Earth Day.

Ten-year-old Theresa-Anne Naecker told of one field trip to Forest Park where the kids searched for "bugs and macro-invertebrates." She said her River Kids experience has "raised my awareness of the need to protect the rivers."

Ten-year-old Meredith Littlejohn said her River Kids experience will be helpful when she grows up. "I'll remember to find a place for trash so it doesn't go into rivers," she said.

Kai Rebmann and Alexis Collier

Ten-year-old Kai Rebmann said, "Now, when I see trash, I pick it up." She said it bothers her that "people throw trash in rivers and don't even worry about it."

She said her family does a lot of outdoor activities. "We hike, fish, bike, do sports and walk our dog," she said. These are more fun when she doesn't have to worry about trash.

Nine-year-old Alexis Collier said her group "collected a whole bag of trash just on a walk to a field trip." She likes doing river clean up because "it helps nature."

Ten-year-old Sarah Cohen said one thing she liked about River

Sarah Cohen and Amber Gooch

Kids was taking part in the planning of river cleanup projects. She said she didn't realize how much is involved in planning events.

"By doing one thing, we can help educate people that they are killing their own water sources," Sarah said.

Ten-year-old Amber Gooch said keeping trash from the local rivers and streams is important. "It might not help the whole world but I can pickup the trash," she said.

She said one favorite River Kids activity was helping design the group's business cards.

Ben Griffiths is one of the 4th grade teachers who work with the River Kids group. He said the extra-curriculum activities by River Kids strengthens the classroom lessons on rivers and streams. "These kids are more into hands-on activities," he said.

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