2024 Channel Cat Talks
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9-10:45 a.m.
- August 5th & 7th - Quad City Pelicans **FULL**
- Tim Murphy, QC Audubon Society
- Learn about the big white birds that can be found along the Mississippi River in our Quad Cities region. Twenty years ago this was not the case. Explore possible reasons the American White Pelican population has boomed recently.
- August 6th & 8th - Our River Landscape Mosaic
- Professors Reuben Heine & Norm Moline
- Pool 15 from Arsenal Island to Hampton reveals how physical geography and human actions combine to shape a landscape. Why does the river flow east-west here? What are key river processes and how have humans changed them? What are the current waterfront uses and environmental issues? Enjoy this river journey with us.
- August 13th - Plastic Pollution on the Mighty Mississippi River
- Lori McCollum, PACG
- Learn about the plastic pollution and contamination of our most important local water resource. Did you know that 40% of the plastic pollution in the Gulf of Mexico flows down the Mighty Mississippi? Find out what you can do as a Quad Citizen to help keep our waters clear of plastic waste.
- August 19th & 21st - Quad Cities’ First Residents
- Beth Carvey, Retired, Black Hawk State Historic Site
- Learn about the many cultures of indigenous people that have occupied this region of the Mississippi River Valley over the last 10,000 years. Special emphasis will be given to the Meskwaki (Fox) and Sauk tribes who were the last two indigenous nations to occupy this portion of the river from 1740 to 1831.
- August 20th & 22nd - Commercial Fishing on the Mississippi
- Mike Schafer, Schafer Fisheries
- Come for a ride on the Channel Cat and listen to a commercial fisherman tell stories of how they make a living on the Mississippi River. Stick around to enjoy a fresh-caught snack afterwards!
- August 26th - Fantastic Voyage on the Mississippi **NEW! Second Presentation**
- Dana Starkell, Adventurer, Paddle to the Amazon, Guinness World Record - 12,181 miles
- At age 19 Dana and his father paddled a canoe from central Canada to the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil. The Mississippi River was a memorable part of this 2-year Guinness World Record Breaking trip. Listen as Dana shares entertaining stories from their adventure, giving a unique perspective of life on the river. Go to paddletotheamazon.com to learn more.
- August 27th & 29th - Gongoozling with USACE - 200 years of operation, maintenance, and inspections along the Upper Mississippi River
- Anthony Heddlesten & Josh Hendrix, USACE
Lock through the first lock constructed in the 1930s for the 9-foot channel system and learn how it operates. On our way to and from the lock and dam we'll discuss why it was built and the maintenance and upkeep required to keep it running for over 90 years.
2024 is the 200th Anniversary of the First Regulation to Start Cleaning up the Mississippi River! 2024 is the 200th anniversary of the US Army Corps of Engineers’ first appropriation to start working on creating navigable waterways - $75,000 under the Rivers & Harbors Act of 1824. This followed the General Survey Act of 1824 and both were related to the Gibbons v. Ogden decision of 3/2/1824.
- September 3rd & 5th - Steamboating on the Upper Mississippi River
- Karen Anderson, Historian
- Iowa's earliest settlers walked, rode horses, or hopped a log into the Black Hawk Purchase, but by 1854 two miles of north-bound steamboats lined the St. Louis levee. By 1907 the Streckfus family of Rock Island had amassed the largest fleet of luxury steamboats in the world. *Make - Up Dates. Originally scheduled for June 4th & 6th.*
CLICK HERE to go to the 2024 Riverine Walks full schedule and details.
A special thanks to our 2024 sponsors:
- MetroLINK
- Quad City Times
- Modern Woodmen
- BITCO Insurance Companies
- Eaton
- IHMVCU
- Nelson Brothers Agency
Click below to make a general donation to River Action via PayPal.
