As the sun emerges from the horizon, casting a warm glow over the surface of Lady Bird Lake, hundreds of volunteers in colorful kayaks and paddleboards glide across the water. They slowly make their way along the edges of the lake, reaching carefully to collect bottles and scraps trapped in the shrubbery. The still lake quickly fills with excited chatter and the steady rhythm of paddles moving in the water. 

Austin Rowing Club held its annual Love Lady Bird Lake Day cleanup event on Saturday. Started in 2009, the event provides cleaning and safety equipment, as well as kayaks and paddleboards, to hundreds of volunteers. The event reflects uniquely Austin values, combining recreation on the lake with environmental conversation and community engagement. 

“It started off small for (the) first few years,” said Carol Baxter, managing director at Austin Rowing Club. “Then the energy behind it grew. We realized the interest in the community, and we realized the impact that we (have).” 

Despite hosting regular cleanups, the volume of waste in the lake continues to be an issue. 

“You would think that there wouldn’t be as much trash as there is,” Baxter said. 

The sheer amount of trash causes the event to grow each year. Last year, Austin Rowing Club saw around 500 volunteers collecting 6,000 pounds of trash. This year, organizers aimed to double both. 

“We have about 1,000 volunteers signed up, and we expect more throughout the day,” said Aubrea Rudder, director of rental operations at Austin Rowing Club. 

As the only nonprofit kayak business on the lake, Austin Rowing Club seeks to not only make an impact on the environment, but to promote access to the lake among the community. 

“Access to nature is good for health, wellness, and then when you’re out there, you can actually have an even better and bigger impact,” Baxter said. “You’re on the water (and) it’s relaxing. But you can also do your part.”

Accessibility proved central to the clean up. Many volunteers showed up and made use of the kayaks, paddleboards and clean-up supplies provided by Austin Rowing Club, who emphasized that no experience was required. 

“We have all avenues where we can get people out there to join (and) get on the lake,” Baxter said. (The lake is) the treasure of Austin, so we want to protect it.”

Psychology freshman Nicole Lee signed up for double kayaking with her acapella group. 

“I’m most looking forward to … seeing this city from the lake (and) being able to contribute,” Lee said. 

Austin Rowing Club’s sponsors and partners, including Keep Austin Beautiful, support the accessibility of the event.

“We partner with them by providing all of the cleanup supplies, and (we’re) out here to table and let people know what other events they can join in,” said Lauren Carson, corporate engagement coordinator at Keep Austin Beautiful. 

As a staff member of Keep Austin Beautiful for three years, Carson sees the event grow over time, bringing together the community. 

“Creating community around things like cleaning up our environment (makes) a fun space for people to really get involved and take ownership of their own environmental stewardship,” Carson said.