Living Lands & Waters

Name

Living Lands & Waters

Legal name

Living Lands & Waters

Website

https://livinglandsandwaters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (488390)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953), Forestry (800), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Pollution Control & Environmental Remediation (Booming, Skimming, Shoreline Cleanup) (TLAHAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Riparian & Watershed Reforestation (Streambank Stabilization) (AFAMACAK), Wetland, Riparian & Buffer Services (within forest landscapes) (AFAMAMAI), Sediment Remediation & Dredging (Contaminated Sediments) (BPALAKAI)

Keywords

• River cleanup services
• Watershed conservation programs
• Environmental education
• Tree planting initiatives
• Volunteer stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

East Moline

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting environmental stewardship and river cleanup initiatives.
2. Corporate Sponsorships and Employee Engagement: Corporate partners sponsor events and programs, with employee engagement opportunities where companies pay for team-building river cleanup experiences.
3. Earth Day Partner Campaigns: Annual Earth Day partnerships with restaurant chains (e.g., Culver's) where percentage of sales are donated to the organization.
4. Grants and Foundation Support: Foundation and government grants supporting conservation and environmental education programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Living Lands & Waters runs industrial-scale river cleanup operations across U.S. waterways using a fleet of barges and workboats, complemented by watershed restoration (MillionTrees Project, invasive species removal) and free environmental education delivered via two floating classroom barges. Programs are funded by individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and percentage-of-sales campaigns.

Product overview

Living Lands & Waters operates a diversified portfolio of environmental programs centered around river conservation and education. The organization runs industrial-scale river cleanup operations using a fleet of barges, complemented by the MillionTrees Project for watershed restoration and invasive species removal. Its education arm includes two floating classroom barges: the original barge hosting Student Educational Workshops and Lab Activities for grades 7-12, and the Mississippi River Institute (MRI) providing workforce development for young adults. Additional programs include Alternative Spring Break for college volunteers, Adopt-A-River-Mile for community stewardship, Recycle Like a Rockstar for recycling events, Guest Speaking for outreach, and Employee Engagement corporate team-building programs. Summer Camps rounds out the educational offerings. All programs are free to participants, funded through donations and corporate sponsorships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mississippi River Institute: A floating classroom barge initiative designed as a workforce development program to connect young adults with career opportunities along the Mississippi River, traveling from St. Paul to Memphis with various stops.

Products and services

• River Cleanups Industrial-scale cleanup operations conducted from a fleet of barges and workboats that remove garbage and debris from America's major rivers. Programs are open to volunteer participants and coordinated with community partners.
• Great Mississippi River Cleanup Annual community-hosted cleanup initiative spanning the full length of the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Louisiana, providing guidance and supplies to local hosts and coordinating more than 11,000 volunteers who remove hundreds of thousands of pounds of debris each year.
• MillionTrees Project Watershed restoration initiative that plants native trees (primarily oaks) along river shorelines and distributes more than 175,000 free tree seedlings annually. Has planted over 2.4 million trees total and is open to volunteer participation.
• Recycle Like a Rockstar Event-based recycling initiative that hand-sorts and recycles plastic bottles and aluminum cans collected during river cleanups, delivered at community events to extend the impact of cleanup operations.
• Adopt-A-River-Mile Self-serve stewardship program that allows individuals, families, groups, or companies to adopt a section of river shoreline for ongoing cleanup and maintenance. Participants receive free reusable gloves, biodegradable garbage bags, and a permanent outdoor metal sign.
• Alternative Spring Break Week-long immersive service-learning trip for college students based primarily in Memphis, Tennessee, where participants remove trash from McKellar Lake and the Mississippi River. A $75 non-refundable fee per attendee is required; lodging and parking are arranged independently.
• Invasive Species Removal Volunteer program that removes invasive honeysuckle from forest preserves (including at Hampton, Illinois in partnership with Illiniwek Forest Preserve) to restore native plant populations along river-adjacent lands.
• Student Educational Workshops Free one-day hands-on environmental education workshops delivered aboard the floating classroom barge for students grades 7-12 and college groups, covering river ecology, macroinvertebrates, water quality testing, and conservation. Up to 30 students per workshop with one chaperone per 10 students recommended.
• Mississippi River Institute Free workforce development program delivered from a second classroom barge for young adults ages 15-25, showcasing trades and career opportunities along the Mississippi River. Free one-day workshops are offered Monday through Friday as the barge travels between St. Paul and Memphis.
• Summer Camps Outdoor environmental education program for camp groups featuring river boat rides, water quality testing, and recycling education as field-trip experiences.
• Guest Speaking Educational presentations delivered by Living Lands & Waters staff at schools and organizations during the December–February outreach season, covering waste reduction and the organization's history. Available in person within 60 miles of the Quad Cities or via Skype/Facetime for remote audiences.
• Employee Engagement Opportunities Corporate team-building program offering turn-key river cleanup experiences for company teams, with optional additions including live music, local cuisine, motivational speeches, and networking. Pricing is negotiated based on event scope under multi-year corporate arrangements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,190,723 pounds of trash removed from rivers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Ford Motor CompanyflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2026Ford partnership for river cleanup initiatives; Ford employees from BlueOval City participated in McKellar Lake cleanup in Memphis; featured on Ford's From the Road blog celebrating Earth Day initiatives.
• Culver'sflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Earth Day fundraising partnership since 2021. 73+ Culver's restaurants donate 10% of net sales on Earth Day. Campaign raised over $100,000 since partnership began.
• ADM (Archer Daniels Midland)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing partnership for river cleanup events and tree-wrapping volunteer activities. ADM Clinton location partnered for Illinois River cleanup and tree preservation efforts.
• American Commercial Barge LinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership to clean up the Ohio River banks. Over 30 volunteers from American Commercial Barge Line team up with Living Lands & Waters for cleanup efforts.
• American River Transportation CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Illinois River cleanup efforts, leveraging river industry expertise and resources.
• CargillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Living Lands & Waters initiatives.
• Marquette Transportation Co.flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNamed their motor vessel 'The Chad Pregracke' after the organization's founder in recognition of his work.
• Rust BeltcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal partner providing space for tree seedling wrapping operations in East Moline.
• Saint Paul CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelding students participated in hands-on workshop aboard the Mississippi River Institute floating classroom barge at Harriet Island Regional Park.
• Inver Hills Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents participated in Mississippi River Institute free one-day workshop aboard the floating classroom barge.
• Illinois State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents participated in Alternative Spring Break program, removing 33,547 pounds of trash from McKellar Lake in Memphis.
• Illiniwek Forest PreserveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocation partner for invasive species removal project at Hampton, Illinois site.
• Charity NavigatorcoreOthersIndependent charity evaluator that awarded Living Lands & Waters a 4-star rating for 8+ consecutive years, demonstrating financial transparency and accountability.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Major watershed restoration nonprofit with education programs and on-water environmental experiences. Comparable river/watershed conservation mission, environmental education focus, and floating classroom-style programming.
• Ocean Conservancy: Major marine and waterway conservation nonprofit running the International Coastal Cleanup, the largest volunteer cleanup program globally. Directly comparable mission, volunteer model, and donor-funded structure to Living Lands & Waters.
• The Ocean Cleanup: Nonprofit deploying industrial-scale technology to remove plastic from oceans and rivers, including interceptor systems deployed on the Mississippi River. Most direct comparable in industrial-scale waterway cleanup mission and barge-based operations.
• Surfrider Foundation: Volunteer-driven waterway and beach cleanup nonprofit with chapter-based community model. Comparable grassroots volunteer mobilization, beach/river cleanup activities, and nonprofit funding structure.
• Waterkeeper Alliance: Global nonprofit network focused on protecting rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Comparable waterway protection mission and grassroots/community-based program model.

Emerging players

• EarthCorps: Nonprofit focused on environmental restoration and workforce development through crew-based habitat restoration projects. Comparable combination of hands-on environmental restoration and young-adult workforce development programming.
• Student Conservation Association: Nonprofit providing conservation service opportunities and career pathways for young adults. Comparable youth engagement, environmental education, and workforce development mission similar to Living Lands & Waters' Mississippi River Institute.

Regional players

• Alliance for the Great Lakes: Nonprofit dedicated to protecting the Great Lakes with volunteer cleanup and education programs. Comparable waterway-focused conservation, volunteer mobilization, and educational mission, though geographically focused on the Great Lakes region.
• Riverkeeper: Long-established waterway protection nonprofit primarily focused on the Hudson River in New York. Comparable river-focused conservation mission and advocacy, but regionally concentrated versus Living Lands & Waters' nationwide scope.

Broad incumbents

• Keep America Beautiful: Large national nonprofit focused on litter prevention, recycling, and community beautification. Comparable cleanup mission and corporate partnership model, but operates as a broader umbrella organization rather than focused river cleanup.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5lTKJxXI--0R2eWutwi4qw
• Facebookfacebook.com/LivingLandsAndWaters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/living-lands-&-waters
• Instagraminstagram.com/livinglandsandwaters
• TikToktiktok.com/@livinglandsandwaters?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
• Xx.com/LLandW

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Living Lands & Waters