KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – A group of volunteers found a message in a bottle after making a trip through the Tennessee River, standing the test of time.

The glass bottle drifted through the water for almost 40 years and the letter it contained was written by an 11-year-old.

It was sent from Strawberry Plains and found by volunteers with Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful in Lenoir City.

The volunteers said it was a fun novelty to find, but the bottle can serve as a lesson for just how long litter can last in the river.

“It still is litter, so it’s a great message to have with the kids about please don’t litter,” said Kathleen Gibi of Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful. “Even when it’s for something fun like this.”

It’s not just glass that can last that long in the river, plastics and other trash can also take hundred of years to break down.