Larry Ruff
Larry Ruff participated in the AmeriCorps Stream Team program from November 2004 – November 2005 Larry had been a science teacher, track coach and department chairperson for 31 years. Larry and his students (Stream Team 374) monitored Missouri streams from 1992 until he retired from education in the year 2000.His love of Stream Team has not diminished and he continues his monitoring. He is Level 4 trained and recently received an award from the MODNR for ten years of service. In addition, Larry is on the Board of Directors of Greenway Network, Inc (Stream Team 463)—a grass roots environmental organization that supports green space, parks and trails, and good watershed management.
Larry’s assignment was to be an AmeriCorps Stream Team Assistant in the St. Louis area. He was sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation. The job involved Stream Team presentations, welcoming new Stream Team members, mentoring volunteers, monitoring streams, assisting in the planning and implementation of stream clean-ups, assisting the DNR & MDC in educational events, and teaching young students about Stream Team in schools.
“I was privileged to be an AmeriCorps Member and help the Stream Team. I worked with and became friends with many volunteers all over the state. These are very special people who donate their time and efforts to help keep our streams running clean. The year went by in a flash, but I will always have wonderful memories.” Currently Larry is working for the Clean Stream Educational Initiative as an educational consultant teaching teachers how to implement the Stream Team Program into their classrooms.