The Mighty Tidy turns ONE this summer – and wins the prestigious EPA Gulf Guardian Award to celebrate one of the EPA’s most prestigious awards, THE GULF GUARDIAN is presented annually to recognize environmental stewardship and excellence in the five contouring states of the Gulf of Mexico. The awards are sponsored by the partnership of the Gulf of Mexico Program.
EPA AWARD>>

The essence of this award echoes one of the primary missions of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership and its supporters: to discover innovative solutions that balance conservation and development.
The award ceremony will be held in September 2004 in Biloxi, Mississippi.
What a way to celebrate the Mighty Tidy’s first birthday!

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership along with Port of Houston Authority, Harris County Supplemental Environmental Program, Harris County Flood Control District and City of Houston Environmental Investigation Unit launched Mighty Tidy, the Bayou’s new Trashcat that is specially designed boat to skim refuse along the banks of Buffalo Bayou on June 12, 2003.

This whimsical hot pink public art project, created by The Art Guys, can be seen looking for trash with its cartoon-like eyes five days a week from Shepherd Drive to the East Loop 610. In addition to capturing debris washed into the bayou from storm drains and street runoff, the boat will be equipped with special attachments to remove trash located in trees and on the bayou banks.

The Skimmer Boat, a 21-foot garbage guzzler, is part of phase one of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s 20-year Master Plan, Buffalo Bayou and Beyond. The Mighty Tidy is the Partnership’s first step in helping to restore Buffalo Bayou to an ecologically functional system.

After the first eight months of operation, The Mighty Tidy has collected more than 650 cubic yards of litter along Buffalo Bayou between Shepherd Drive and the Turning Basin. That's enough trash to fill up the infield at Minute Maid Park more than two feet high.

The Mighty Tidy and its crew are single-handedly attempting to tackle one of the bayou's most pressing problems: trash. The Buffalo Bayou Partnershipp hopes to add more boats to the skimmer fleet in the future.

Haley Hendrix, a second grader from Lamkin Elementary, gave the Trashcat its name after winning the Skimmer boat naming contest.

Special thanks to Whole Foods Market and Southwest Bank of Texas for sponsoring the Skimmer Boat naming program.

Please visit United Marine International website to find out more about our Mighty Tidy.