Kathy's Corner
November, 2025 - A message from River Action's Executive Director, Kathy Wine...
Dear Friends,
As another remarkable year of riverfront achievements draws to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on all we’ve accomplished together—and on the vital role your support has played in protecting and celebrating the Mississippi River and our riverfront communities.
Thanks to you, River Action continues to turn vision into action through education, events, and environmental stewardship that connect people of all ages to the river that defines our region.
EDUCATING AND INSPIRING OUR COMMUNITY
This summer, nearly 1,000 people explored the Mississippi through our Explore the River Series—learning firsthand about the river’s ecology, culture, and history aboard Channel Cat Water Taxis and through guided Riverine Walks. At our Next Gen Summit, 90 students tackled real-world environmental challenges, while programs like Getting Back to Our Roots native prairies back to life across 15 Quad Cities Wild Places, teaching the next generation the importance of resilient landscapes. The annual Upper Mississippi River Conference inspires collaboration in taking on the river’s most important challenges.
CELEBRATING THROUGH EVENTS
Our community came together again for annual traditions like the QC Environmental Film Series, Ride the River and Ride the Island, Floatzilla, Senior Golf Cart Tours, and Taming of the Slough—together, these events unite thousands of people who value clean water, healthy ecosystems, and outdoor connection. From Father’s Day family bike rides to kayaks and canoes filling the river in August, your generous support has made these experiences possible and accessible to all.
PROTECTING OUR INVESTMENT IN NATURE
With your help, we’ve continued to strengthen the riverfront’s environmental infrastructure, supporting prairie restoration, stormwater retention, trails, and environmental cleanups. We will introduce maintenance workshops with USFWS in 2026 to train city and county crews in native landscapes. These are lasting investments that sustain the Mississippi Valley for generations to come.
As we look to 2026, your generosity ensures that River Action remains a force for collaboration, conservation, and community along the Mississippi River. Every gift—large or small—helps us preserve the river’s beauty, inspire stewardship, and keep our waters clean and accessible.
Please consider making a year-end contribution to keep this vital work flowing.
With gratitude,
Kathy Wine
Executive Director, River Action
May, 2024 - A message from River Action's Executive Director, Kathy Wine...
Dear Friends,
In geological time, River Action’s 40th milestone isn’t more than the blink of an eye. For us, it can serve as a prompt for self-reflection. We have been doing just that.
We are celebrating 40 years of stewardship, but also asking what’s missing from the Quad Cities riverfront today? I’m reminded of Demolition Davenport’s roast of Dr. Mike Giudici; when he took the mic after the roast, he challenged us to enhance the Quad Cities with what is missing. This is on our list:
- Take the RDG lighting plan off the shelf and light Lock & Dam 15. This will further beautify all riverfront projects.
- Achieve equity and inclusion with a Floreciente Trail to Sylvan Island. This will provide residents safe access over an active rail line and River Drive to Sylvan Island.
- Place an outfitter on the riverfront, provide more kayak and canoe launches near our backwaters, and create more beaches. Downtown Moline and Credit Island in Davenport are currently under study.
- Enroll, now, all area cities, large and small, in FEMA’s Community Rating System. This will decrease flood insurance costs and make the region eligible for large FEMA grants that mitigate flooding!
- Repair the damage of divisive infrastructure that prevents residents, YMCA members, and visitors from crossing US 67 and an active rail line to River Heritage Park and national trails by building First Bridge.
- Listen to the voices of our youth and professionals regarding climate change. (One opportunity will be our Upper Mississippi River Conference, “Learning From Each Other” at Western Illinois University, October 16-17.)
- Install a water taxi service between Rock Island and Davenport, providing stops at Main Street and Credit Island in Davenport /17th St. and Sunset Park in Rock Island.
- Build a bike pedestrian bridge to the stadium at Modern Woodmen Park. This should go from being under study to in-the-works.
- Invest in riverfront trails in LeClaire and Princeton connecting to the new I 80 bridge planned trails.
Dedicated as we are to improving QC health, safety, and sustainability through beautiful human-scale infrastructure on our shared RiverWay and the Mississippi River that joins us, we aspire to fill in what is missing now for the future!
Sincerely,
Kathy Wine
Executive Director, River Action
CLICK HERE to see some of what we've accomplished in our last 40 years.
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