Burgers with Benefits: Green Truck hosts fundraiser for Ogeechee Riverkeeper

Nothing beats being on the water all day with friends and family then grabbing burgers and beers for dinner. Unless, of course, your meal could help protect the very river you just paddled, which is the goal of “Community Night” at Green Truck Neighborhood Pub.

On Tuesday, June 18, Ogeechee River Keeper partners with Green Truck, 2430 Habersham St., for a day of supporting the river. The eatery will match all donations made to ORK and donate a portion of the day’s total food and beverage sales. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Riverkeeper staff will be on hand to register new members and share more about the organization’s legal work and conservation efforts within the watershed.

Running 245 miles from its headwaters near Athens and draining over 5,000 square miles of land before flowing into Ossabaw Sound, the Ogeechee River system is vast. And such a watershed faces growing ecological threats like improper logging, increased industry, agriculture, and development. ORK serves as guardian with an aim of ensuring all parties drawing from, recreating on, and conducting business near the Ogeechee do so responsibly and in accordance with necessary permits.

Meaghan Walsh Gerard, the organization’s communications director, is quick to point out ORK’s legal standing and its consequent ability to represent in court concerned constituents. And how ultimately, the more members, the greater its legal presence.

“Waterkeeper organizations across the country have legal standing,” emphasized Gerard. “Which is not always the case with nonprofits. Whenever we appear in a legal matter, or testify in a court case, we represent a specific amount of people within the watershed and our members who donate and volunteer. We can stand before a judge and say, 'hey, this affects us’ and present as a legal stakeholder.”

And with rapid expansion at the Port of Savannah, recent boom in development related to the Hyundai Metaplant, and increased warehouse and residential construction, there’s significantly increased pressure on the Ogeechee River. Earlier this month ORK filed a lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers for its failure to complete required steps in the permitting process related to the construction of the 3,000-acre Hyundai Metaplant in Bryan County. To date, it is the single largest construction site in the watershed.

For nearly 14 years, Whitney Shephard, co-owner of Green Truck Pub, has been an active supporter of ORK through her restaurant. Six months after the eatery opened in 2010, the Ogeechee River experienced one of the largest fish kills in Georgia history when a textile treatment facility released a toxic stream of chemicals into the Ogeechee River in Screven County. More than 38,000 fish perished along with alligators, birds, and turtles along a 77-mile stretch of the river.

“I recall in those early months of opening the restaurant and getting the community involved to raise money then writing a check to Ogeechee Riverkeeper,” said Shephard. “Though Savannah is located along the banks of the Savannah River, more than 70% of Chatham County is within the Ogeechee watershed, which is why it’s so important to get the community aware of and involved in usage and development issues along the Ogeechee.”

Shephard, a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology and civil engineer by training, is also involved in multiple policy-driven grassroots initiatives. She currently chairs the Chatham County Housing Coalition, a group of concerned citizens focused on strategies for local affordable housing and leads the Georgia Chapter of the American Planning Association.

“Ogeechee Riverkeeper is an important watchdog,” emphasized Shephard. “And Green Truck supports them because they keep an eye on water withdrawals, housing developments, industrial projects, requests for water permits, and anything that can potentially impact the river.”

Community Night at Green Truck will help raise funds for the organization and provide an opportunity to welcome new members to ORK. Gerard underscores the nonprofit’s efforts and similarly encourages residents to get involved in local issues.

“We try to go to as many planning and zoning meetings, county commission meetings, and workshops throughout the watershed to help people making planning decisions understand water in our area,” said Walsh. “Getting people engaged, talking to neighbors, and going meetings, this all plays a part in protecting the river. We are here to protect our water in our neighborhood. It’s not a remote cause, it’s in our backyard.”

Green Truck Neighborhood Pub was founded on sustainability and using locally sourced ingredients. The restaurant’s grass-fed beef comes from family farm Hunter Cattle just outside of Savannah. Their vegetables similarly come from local farms while their vegetarian burger patties, vegan chili, ketchup, and pimento cheese are all made in-house.

“It’s an honor to support the community that supports us,” said Shephard. “We are so fortunate to be so embraced these last 14 years, and we feel it so important to support an organization like Ogeechee Riverkeeper that is passionate about preserving our quality of life and our environment.”

If you go >>

What: “Community Night with Ogeechee Riverkeeper”

Where: Green Truck Neighborhood Pub, 2430 Habersham St., Savannah

When: 5 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, June 18

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah Ga Green Truck hosts fundraiser for Ogeechee Riverkeeper