It’s not every day you see a Hollywood leading man deep in the muck of a stream restoration project here on the Chesapeake Bay.
But that’s exactly what happened over the weekend in Annapolis. Kevin Bacon and Michael Bacon of the folk band The Bacon Brothers were in town to play at Rams Head On Stage in downtown Annapolis. (Technically, they call their sound Forosoco, short for “Folk, Rock, Soul, Country.”) Between shows, they joined Arundel Rivers Federation’s Broad Creek Park stream project, planting hundreds of native plants.
The Bacon Brothers worked together with local scouts on the plantings, which will prevent stormwater runoff and other pollution from reaching the South River and the Bay.
Arundel Rivers handed the actor/musicians shovels and their work contributed to a greater effort, Arundel Rivers Executive Director, Matt Johnston says. “The plants they added to this floodplain with the help of our local scouts will join nearly 6,000 others planted by Arundel Rivers and volunteers over the last few months. Those plants will soon start filtering nutrients, holding sediment in place, providing habitat, and protecting the Chesapeake Bay.”
The Broad Creek Park stream restoration reconnects 3,700 feet of degraded stream channel to its historic floodplain, keeping 25 dump truck-sized loads of sediment out of the South River each year, Arundel Rivers says.
The project, which engaged local scouts, is in line with the mission of Kevin Bacon’s charity.
“Through my charity, SixDegrees.Org, we actively champion Youth Empowerment, Equity & Justice, and Sustainability. The remarkable efforts undertaken by Arundel Rivers resonate with the core missions of our respective organizations. We had a great time learning about the organization’s admirable work and being shown the ropes by the young people that will ensure this planet has a bright future,” said Kevin Bacon.
SixDegrees.Org refers to the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” small world theory, which suggests that there are just six degrees of separation between everyone in the world and they can be connected through six or fewer acquaintance links. The Bacon Brothers make a point to give back through their organization in many places they perform.
“Annapolis is one of our favorite stops each year, and learning more about the unique ecosystem of the Bay from our new friends was really inspiring,” said Michael Bacon.
Arundel Rivers Federation is a waterkeeper organization that works to protect, preserve and restore the South, West and Rhode Rivers in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
