Welcome and thank you for your interest in being part of the joint volunteer program of the San Antonio River Authority and the San Antonio River Foundation. This unique volunteer program aims to build a volunteer community that supports and strives toward healthy waterways benefitting the community, flora and fauna in the San Antonio River Watershed.
Ways to Help
Register for the River Authority's River Warrior Volunteer Program
Join other dedicated volunteers at clean-up events to support the health of area creeks and rivers and attend River Warrior educational events and trainings to learn more about how you can help preserve and protect the San Antonio River Basin.
Don't Let Litter Trash Your River
Watch this video on how you can support the River Authority’s anti-trash initiative and contribute greatly from your own spaces.
Who Are the River Warriors?
- River Warrior volunteers areeco-conscious constituents of the San Antonio River Watershed, ages 15 years and above, who love rivers and believe in the joint mission for the San Antonio River Authority and San Antonio River Foundation for safe, clean and enjoyable creeks and rivers.
- Warriors are interested to learn more about watersheds, ecology andsustainable practices to help rivers, and they dream of a vibrant, thriving riverside community and watershed for the future generations.
- Warriors know that together we can make a difference and so they strive and donate their time and energies to achieve our shared vision.
- If any of the above resonates with you, come join our generous and passionate community of volunteers. We would love to meet you and welcome you to our volunteer team.
How Do the River Warriors help the San Antonio River and Community?
- River Warrior volunteers help the River Authority’s Watershed Park Operations team with ecosystem restoration activities like planting native grasses and trees, removing invasive species, pruning, mulching trees and helping maintain native habitats at Confluence Park and other areas on the Mission Reach.
- They respond to post-storm litter clean-up requests from the River Authority Park’s team and they help with monthly and weekend clean-up events on land and water at various River Authority Parks.
- River Warriors support our sustainability efforts at River Authority and River Foundation events and spearhead individual neighborhood clean-ups.
- River Warriors help spread our ‘Safe, Clean and Enjoyable’ message through their volunteer efforts, being vocal ambassadors and via social media engagement.
- River Warriors attend trainings and take part in educational events to gain knowledge onLow Impact Development (LID) and green infrastructure strategies like building rain gardens and become river protection ambassadors.
- They are trained as citizen scientists for water quality monitoring as part of the Texas Stream Team and contribute to species bio-diversity data by making iNaturalist observations.
- They build post-assisted log structures or Beaver Analog Dams in the Medina River Natural Areas to help slow the impact of erosion.
- They are trained to remove invasive apple snails from the river and protect native species in the river.
- Some train as docents to help with educational opportunities to engage with our community and lead nature walks and tours.
- Volunteers with their own kayaks are part of a Paddling Crew that help with litter clean-ups on their own and help with apple snail removal.
What are the requirements to be a River Warrior?
- Sport a love for the San Antonio River and a passion for the outdoors
- Be age 15 years or older
- Sign up for the River Warrior program
- Be required to sign a liability waiver for program activities
- This program is free and open to anyone living in the San Antonio River Watershed.
*No minimum annual volunteer hour requirements to be a River Warrior.
What do I gain?
- An opportunity to make a difference for the river, watershed and the community.
- Learn new skills, like how to build a rain garden, contribute to citizen science, how to maintain native habitats for native species and many others.
- Gain special leadership opportunities and awards for volunteer leadership and engagement.
- Gain access to San Antonio River Authority and San Antonio River Foundation trainings, networking opportunities and special events.
- Connect with others who also have a passion to support our cause.
- Receive River Warrior T-shirts and other free swag.
- Ability to contribute with your strengths and experiences and build a vibrant social network.
- Be part of a dedicated, giving and passionate RIVER WARRIOR volunteer community.
Notes:
- Volunteer events organized by the San Antonio River Authority and San Antonio River Foundation count as community service hours. Pleaseconfirm with school/organization prior to event and bring forms to be signed at the end of the event.
- Registered volunteers will receive between 1-2 emails in a month with information regarding upcoming volunteer events, trainings, River Authority and River Foundation updates and photos and recaps from past events.
- 2-3 River Warrior volunteer opportunities are organized monthly and will typically last between two to four hours on weekdays or on some weekends.
The Don’t Let Litter Trash Your River Initiative Social Media Toolkit has content for you to use on all social media channels to drive awareness and action for a cleaner San Antonio River. The toolkit includes graphics, hashtags, fun facts and copy for your posts. As we embark on this journey together, we want to encourage you to share the message. Show your pride by following the instructions below to get started!
Use the hashtags below in your social media posts to help spread the word:
#sanantonioriver
#donttrashmyriver
#environmentalhero
#RiverGratitude
#noactionistoosmall
#seriOrgulloso
#cuidaturio
Use this sample copy to create your social media posts and show your river pride!
- Did you know, a plastic bottle can take over 450 years to decompose? Next time you see a plastic bottle on the ground and put litter where it belongs. Don’t let litter trash your river! Learn more at sariverauthority.org/get-involved/dont-let-litter-trash-your-river
- Did you know, a plastic bag can take up to 20 years to decompose? Limit your use of single-use plastic. Don’t let litter trash your river and be part of the change. Learn more at sariverauthority.org/get-involved/dont-let-litter-trash-your-river
- Change starts with us! Volunteer a few hours to make a real difference. Sign up at sariverauthority.org/get-involved/volunteer #sanantonioriver
- Take the pledge! Learn how you can do small things to make a big difference at sariverauthority.org/get-involved/dont-let-litter-trash-your-river
- After a storm, trash from all over the city gets washed into drainage ditches, creeks, and ultimately the #Sanantonioriver. Do your part and put litter where it belongs.
- Conduct a campus clean up with your students and track your progress! Let’s protect our #sanantonioriver for generations to come. Resources available at sariverauthority.org
- Trash in the environment poses threats to wildlife habitat, water quality and the health of the San Antonio River. Together, let’s make a clean break from litter. Learn more at sariverauthority.org/get-involved/dont-let-litter-trash-your-river
En Español – Spanish Resources
- Cuida tu río. Pon la basura en su lugar. Obtenga mas informacion en sariverauthority.org
- Despues de una tormenta, las aguas pluviales arrastran la basura de toda la ciudad a los drenajes, arroyos y finalmente, al río San Antonio. Obtenga mas informacion en sariverauthority.org
Make your next video conference fun with virtual backgrounds featuring popular spots along the San Antonio River. Simply right click the image then save it to your computer for use with your preferred video conferencing app such as Zoom.
Branch River Park
Branch River Park is a nature based park located in Goliad, TX and is owned and operated by the San Antonio River Authority.
Escondido Creek Parkway
Escondido Creek Parkway is a 20-acre nature park, managed by the San Antonio River Authority.
Helton Nature Park
John William Helton San Antonio River Nature Park is a 98-acre park owned and operated by the San Antonio River Authority.
Social Media Toolkit - Share the Message!