While much of Wisconsin went shopping or to work on Friday, a smaller number of people went outdoors, as part of a national effort called “Opt Outside.”
REI, a national outdoors retailer is again promoting “Opt Outside,” as an alternative to Black Friday. Instead of recreating or clocking in, Shorewood resident Kathy Beaver and 13 other volunteers made it a day to check local rivers for water pollution with environmental group Milwaukee Riverkeeper.
Kathy Beaver holds a sampling bottle containing water taken from the Menomonee River in downtown Milwaukee. Chuck Quirmbach/WPR
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Shortly after raising a bucket of water from the Menomonee River near downtown Milwaukee for the pollution monitoring project, Beaver said the day was a perfect fit.
“My first response is, I would do anything but go shopping today. And I like to be outside in general, and I wanted to be able to contribute to the data collection,” Beaver said.
Beaver says the sampling is looking for so-called “emerging contaminants” like pharmaceuticals and personal care products. She says she doesn’t mind if companies eventually benefit from “Opt Outside,” as long as they’re part of the solution to water pollution.
Beaver said she’d gladly take more samples.
“Sure, I would do it in the middle of winter if I could get the bucket through the ice … sure,” she said laughing.
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