RIVER ACTION
The 2023 Explore the River Series Can Lead to Action Although it feels like winter has just begun, summer is right around the corner, and River Action has almost nished planning the 2023 Explore the River Summer Education Series.
Antique postcard of a ferryboat in Davenport, IA on the Mississippi River.
— by Dayna Kraklio
C hannel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks will begin May 30th and feature 26 di erent topics on the environment, history, and the culture of the Mississippi River and Quad City region. New topics include “Spooky Quad Cities” with Michael McCarty; Co-Author of Ghosts of the Quad Cities and Eerie Quad Cities, “Butterworth Center and Deere-Wiman House Tour”, and “Monarchs of the Quad Cities” with The QC Monarch Rescue Team. No matter your age, gender, or ethnicity, environmental education and stewardship has something for you. River Action not only wants to educate, but encourage people to take action, as well! We will feature many lectures involving people in the Quad Cities who are taking action and creating change. With the Quad City Monarch Riverine Walk, participants will not only learn about the beauty and importance of Monarch Butter ies, but they will also look for Monarch eggs and caterpillars, too, so that the larvae can complete their nal life stages in a safe place to ensure their survival. Last year, the small group organized by Laura and Paige Burke raised and shared over 530 eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis, and butter ies.
QC Monarch Rescue Team and Mercado on Fifth are initiating change. Another link to action that we see within our series is between “Ferrying on the Upper Mississippi” and the MetroLINK Channel Cat Water Taxi. In the early 1900’s, ferries used to move people from shore to shore between Davenport and Rock Island. They were soon phased out due to bridges being built. River Action created the Channel Cat Water Taxi in 1995 to reconnect citizens with the Mississippi River and create another kind of ferry. Learn of other connections between the ferries of the past and ferries of the day with Reggie McLeod, publisher, and editor of “Big River Magazine”. River Action hopes to bridge a connection between education and action for our audiences. Getting involved can lead to cleaning up trash in a local park with friends, planting milkweed in your home garden or yard, or buying a rain barrel to retain the rainwater that runs o your roof. You can pick up a mesh bag, perfect for picking up trash around the Mississippi River and other local waterways, at our o ce. You can also nd more ways to get involved on our website, riveraction.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to learn more.
QC Monarch Rescue Team showing o their butter y hatching kits from last summer on Living Local.
Some of the butter ies were even released at Nahant Marsh Education Center last fall. The series will also feature a Riverine Walk with Mercado on 5th in Moline, a non-pro t trying to create a connection between the Floreciente Neighborhood and Moline’s downtown by supporting the Hispanic community that lives there. By drawing diverse groups of people to their events and their outdoor markets, they support the small business owners who participate. Organizations like The
February/March/April 2023 | eddy Magazine 11
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease