After 14 years of litter cleanups, Antler River Rally to change hands
London, Ontario: Antler River Rally, the long-running volunteer-led litter cleanup group working to protect and restore Deshkan Ziibi/Thames River, will change hands at the end of the summer as it becomes a new program of the London Environmental Network (LEN).
Antler River Rally and the London Environmental Network have announced that as of September 1st, leadership of the river cleanup group will be taken over from the group’s founders by the London Environmental Network team. After 14 years of serving the river and London community, co-founders Tom Cull and Miriam Love are ready to pass the picker-upper.
“We want to thank all the amazing volunteers and community partners who continue to show up for our river and for our communities,” said Cull and Love, “We are thrilled that the work of protecting our river and fostering ecological understanding and action will continue under the excellent leadership of the London Environmental Network.”
The London Environmental Network is an environmental charitable organization based in London, Ontario, Canada. LEN helps to protect our environment and build a more sustainable city by offering environmental programs and climate action opportunities for all residents. LEN’s mission is to build participation, collaboration, and capacity in the community to co-create positive environmental change through programs that focus on businesses, residents, environmental grassroots groups, and non-profit organizations.
“Antler River Rally has built a strong foundation of community action and environmental stewardship. As a longstanding community partner, the LEN is excited and honoured to carry on its impact and build on that momentum through our network,” said Kaitlin Creighton, Director of Sustainability at the LEN.
Over the past fourteen years, ARR has organized well over 150 individual cleanups in garbage hotspots across the City of London and surrounding area. The group’s work also included advocating for people camping rough along the river, improving upstream/downstream relations with Indigenous communities and water protectors, developing greater ecological knowledge and wisdom, and facilitating collaborations among activists, artists, and citizens. ARR and its leadership group have been the proud recipient of Western’s Green Award, Mayor's New Year's Honour List, the Urban League's Green Umbrella Award, and Nature London’s Conservation Award.
Moving forward under the London Environmental Network, Antler River Rally will continue hosting regular monthly cleanups that are open to existing and new volunteers. Cleanups are announced in advance through an email list and on social media. The final ARR cleanup led by Tom and Miriam will take place this Saturday, August 30th at Richard B. Harrison Park (9:30-11:30). For more information please visit www.antlerriverrally.ca
The first LEN-led ARR cleanup event is scheduled for Saturday, September 20th 2025 beginning at 9:30 (locations TBA). There will be a community event, open to the public, to celebrate Antler River Rally and its volunteers at Anderson Craft Ales on Saturday, October 4th from 5:00 - 7:00 PM.
For more information, please contact:
Tom Cull - [email protected]
Kaitlin Creighton - [email protected]
