2024 Riverine Walks
Wednesdays 6:30-8 p.m. and Saturdays 9-10:30 a.m.
- May 29th & June 1st - The Past, Present, and Future of Moline Centre’s Riverfront
- Kirk Marske, Program Manager, Renew Moline
- Explore Moline Centre’s connection to the river front from its rich history and vibrant present to its exciting future. Hear the latest information on the Spiegel Building, the Moline River Front + Centre Plan, and other downtown Moline projects.
- Meet at: City of Moline Water Department - Thirty 18th St. in Moline, IL
- June 5th & 8th - Ballpark Backstage Pass
- Dave Heller, Owner - QC River Bandits
- Join the team owner for a behind the scenes tour of what USA Today called “the Best Minor League Ballpark in America”. Get an inside look at the clubhouses, batting cages, press box, suites, Quad City Sports Hall of Fame, Champions Club, even the dugouts, and hear behind-the-scenes stories from 17 years at Modern Woodman Park!
- Meet at: Stadium Suite Level at Entrance of Modern Woodman Ballpark
- June 12th & 15th - 50 Years of Re-imagining the Riverfront
- Gates Thomas, Professor, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA
- The Mississippi riverbank between Prospect Park and the Government Bridge encapsulates Davenport’s historical and economic development. Along this short stretch of the riverfront trail lie the sites of two Indian treaties, the first bridge across the Mississippi, several historic homes and structures, and one of Davenport’s two original industrial zones, which produced everything from flour, lumber, window sashes, concrete, kit-home advertising and radio broadcasting. Since the mid-1970s, this has been an area in transition. Many of the old structures below River Drive have been razed, the land cleared and repurposed. The construction of the riverfront trail made this area accessible for the first time since the 19th century. This tour will place historical events in their modern context, allowing participants to imagine the changes in Davenport’s riverfront over several generations.
- Meet at: Oneida Landing (D’Lua Parking Lot) 1201 E River Drive in Davenport, IA
- June 19th & 22nd - Passion for Trees
- Scott Carlson, Lead Consultant & Instructor, Iowa Arborist Consulting
- I am passionate to a fault about trees. It’s a real problem. I am willing to talk about trees longer than you are willing to listen. We take a casual walk around Lindsay Park and dabble in species ID, structure, defects, disease, aesthetics, function, planting, etc. We will touch trees! You will learn one easy ID trick that will cut your identification options roughly in half. You will own this powerful tool for the rest of your life. I will tell you a few things you don’t want to know about trees. You have been warned. If your trees are normal, they have endured years of loving neglect with brief interruptions of well-meaning abuse. I hope my passion is contagious and you leave looking at trees differently.
- Meet at: Lindsay Park Marina (On the river side, not East Village side. ) 2100 E. River Drive in Davenport, IA
- June 26th & 29th - Patriots of the Prairie
- Karen Anderson, Historian
- From Dred Scott's groundbreaking days working on a Bettendorf land grant claim to the pistols and posses that rallied to aid John Brown's renowned slave train crossing on the Davenport riverfront, local abolitionist freedom fighters ignited the fuse that sparked the Civil War.
- Meet at: Leach Park (West end under pine trees) 100 12th St. in Bettendorf, IA
- July 10th & 13th - Hiking Smith’s Island & Lock & Dam 14
- Mike McKean, Park Ranger, USACE
- Join a Corps of Engineers’ Park Ranger for a guided hike around Smith's Island near Lock & Dam 14. Explore local river history and the Corps’ pivotal role in how the Mississippi River looks today.
- Meet at: Smith’s Island, 22549 182nd St in Pleasant Valley, IA (Lower gravel lot)
- July 17th & 20th - Helping Monarch Butterflies
- Janet Moline, Retired Environmental Science Teacher
- Fewer monarch butterflies are returning from Mexico. What can we do to increase their numbers? Suggestions on how to raise them and plants needed for their survival will be covered. Recognizing milkweed and looking for eggs will be included. Handouts will be available. Mosquitos possible, some walking, bring a lawn chair.
- Meet at: Sylvan Slough Natural Area 4501 3rd Ave. in Rock Island, IL (One block West of Sylvan Island parking lot.)
- July 24th & 27th - Port Byron History
- Dale Hachtel, Port Byron Historical Society
- Port Byron is the first location along the Mississippi River between Fort Armstrong and Galena to be settled by Europeans and is the oldest named village in Rock Island County. Take a walk along the riverfront and downtown area of Port Byron and learn about its geological and cultural history and about current events.
- Meet at: River Valley Library 214 S Main St. in Port Byron, IL
- July 31st & August 3rd - Exploring the Marsh
- Amy Loving, Director of Education, Nahant Marsh
- Hike the trails at Nahant Marsh and discover the unique flora and fauna found in our region’s largest urban wetland. Dress according to weather.
- Meet at: Nahant Marsh 4220 Wapello Ave. in Davenport, IA
- August 7th & 10th - Before Rock Island, There Was Farnhamsburg
- Gena Schantz, Historian
- Named for Russel Farnham who was known as 'the man who walked around the world', worked for John Jacob Astor, and opened the Mississippi Valley for the American Fur Company. His trading post evolved from a trading post out of reach of the commanding officer of Fort Armstrong to an inn and public gathering place. It became the site of the first temporary courthouse of Rock Island County where the first elections were held and the electors organized the county and established the county seat called Stephenson - now known as Rock Island County, IL.
- Meet at: Schwiebert Park Pavilion in Rock Island, IL (Bring a lawn chair.)
- August 14th & 17th - Quad City National Weather Service Office Tour
- John Haase, Meteorologist/Forecaster
- Learn about weather, climate change, and the history of the NWS and its mission as you take a tour of the operations area and observe how they forecast and create weather warnings.
- Meet at: NOAA/NWS, 9040 Harrison St. in Davenport, IA (Near Davenport airport)
- May August 21st & 24th - The South Branch of the Mississippi: Small but Important
- Dr. Norm Moline
- South of Arsenal Island is the Mississippi’s South Branch, often called Sylvan Slough. Getting less attention than the main north channel, it was the key factor for the development of industries in Moline, eastern Rock Island, and the arsenal’s location. This branch is now used for recreation. Enjoy this feature’s story and scenery.
- Meet at: Bass Street Landing in Moline, IL
- August 28th & 31st - This is a Farm
- Sonja Kinser, Hydroponics Mgr., Tapestry Farms
- When you hear the word “farm,” pictures of rolling fields, red barns, and green equipment likely come to mind. But a farm can take many shapes and sizes. It can be shrouded in metal, on the roof of a building, a side yard or a pot on a windowsill. A farm is wherever someone is willing to tend. Innovative solutions like a self-contained Freight Farm reduce the need for extensive land and precious resources like water. With year-round operation, a small but mighty repurposed shipping container can yield up to 12,000 pounds of fresh, nutritious produce annually - the equivalent of a 2-4 acre farm. And best of all? The food stays local, directly benefiting the communities we call home. In partnership with the John Deere Foundation, hosted by the Quad Cities Botanical Center, visit the Tapestry Farms hydroponics container.
- Meet at: Botanical Center 2525 4th Ave. Rock Island, IL
CLICK HERE to go to the 2024 Channel Cat Talks full schedule and details.
Purchase Membership & Riverine Walks
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.
