The 14th Annual eddy Awards were presented at River Action's Fish & Fire event Friday, April 19.

The winners of the awards were:

• eddy for the Arts – Joe Taylor and the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors' Bureau for "Experience Quad Cities: East West Riverfest."
• eddy for Design – Bill Ashton and Ashton Engineering for design of numerous recreation trail bridges in the Quad Cities.
• eddy for Design – Rodney Blackwell and Financial District Properties for development of the LEED-certified new KONE Tower in Moline.
• eddy for Education – John Riches and ALCOA for development of the ALCOA eaglecam and education curriculum used in school classrooms.
• eddy for Stewardship – Joe Pennings and Lafarge Corporation for use of alternative fuels in its cement-making process.
• eddy for Revitalization – Davenport North High School Art Teacher Dave Schaefer, Davenport Central High Art Teacher Kit Sayles and their art students for restoring and repainting the life-size statutes on Credit Island.

CLICK HERE to view the 2013 eddy Award presentation at the 14th Annual Fish & Fire.

Click on the "Read More" for the full text of the 2013 eddy Award presentation.

Enjoy a bi-state tour of the Quad Cities along riverfront bike trails. Plus, cruise on the Mississippi River on the Celebration Belle Riverboat from Iowa to Illinois or ride across the historic Arsenal Bridge. Come join the fun with the whole family for this Father’s Day tradition!

Register one of several ways

• CLICK HERE to download the registration form and send to River Action.
• CLICK HERE to register online.
• Stop by the River Action office, 822 E. River Drive, Davenport, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Each pre-registered group will receive a mailed confirmation.

You also can register during Packet Pickup to be held:

• Saturday, June 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at the River Action office.
• Sunday, June 16 from 6 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at The Freight House, Western Avenue and River Drive, Davenport.

Learn from experience. Theirs.

When they're not working at their interesting jobs, they are teaching them. You can take one-of-a-kind classes with distinguished professionals of the Quad Cities on the "Channel Cat Talks" and along the river on "Riverine Walks" through River Action's Summer Explore the River Education Series. Give yourself an education.

• To download a brochure with registration form, CLICK HERE.
• Pre-registration for all sessions is required. If you prefer to pay at the event, please call 563-322-2969 to reserve your space.
• To register online for Channel Cat Talks, CLICK HERE.
• To register online for Riverine Walks, CLICK HERE. (If you are a River Action member, you qualify for free admission to Riverine Walks. Rather than fill out the online shopping cart, simply call the River Action office at 563-322-2969 to reserve your Riverine Walk date and time.)

River Action and WVIK 90.3 FM Augustana Public Radio are partnering to offer a new program – "RiverWayStories" – which airs each Saturday at 8:34 a.m. during the station's “Weekend Edition."

The three-minute on-air essays will cover a broad range of river-related topics, including environmental concerns, conservation efforts, history and recreation.

RiverWayStories is a collaboration between River Action and WVIK and is underwritten by the Singh Group of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.

The April schedule will be posted soon.

Dean Mathias, Quad Cities Bicycle Club member and organizer of special ride events during Ride the River, recently received a "Special Recognition Award" from RAGBRAI, the Des Moines Register's annual bike ride across Iowa.

River Action's QC Wild Places program has received a $25,000 grant from the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend to help fund site improvements, community outreach and awareness, the QC Wild Explorers Program for children and conservation efforts.

QC Wild Places was established in 2011 with the support of the Community Foundation as a way to combine the efforts of local natural areas and their managing organizations in collaboration with River Action and area funders.

Because wilderness areas are run by various organizations with staff and budgets of varying sizes, it is often difficult for them to receive the funding and publicity they need to increase awareness and make improvements. QC Wild Places is a program dedicated to preserving natural areas around the Quad Cities through service, funding, and awareness.