2025 Upper Mississippi River Conference Schedule
Tuesday, October 14th, 2025
12:00 – 2:00 p.m. | WEDG (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) Workshop | Main Ballroom
Learn about WEDG - the sustainable waterfront development accreditation, and discuss some exciting news about our local riverfront
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. | WEDG Happy Hour | Outside Main Ballroom
Wednesday, October 15th, 2025
7:00 – 8:30 a.m. | Registration, Breakfast and Check-in | Outside Main Ballroom
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. | Welcome Remarks | Main Ballroom
- Kathy Wine, Executive Director and Founder, River Action
9:00 – 10:30 a.m. | Keynote Session | Riverfront Hall
"Mississippi Navigation"
- David Murray, Senior Writer for the Waterways Journal
10:30 - 10:45 a.m. | Networking Break
10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Break Out Sessions
Breakout 1: "Measurement for Mitigation"
- Nina Struss, River Health and Resiliency Organizer at Prairie Rivers Network.
- Steve Hilberg, Midwest Climate Scientist at CoCoRaHS.
Breakout 2: "TBD"
12:15 – 1:00 p.m. | Boxed Lunch | Outside Main Ballroom
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Field Tour or Film Program (Choose 1)
Option 1: Nahant Marsh Field Trip ($15) - "Restoring Resilience: Lessons from Nahant Marsh"
Option 3: FilmTBD (Free) | Main Ballroom
4:00 - 6:30 p.m. | Break & Dinner Set-up
6:30 - 8 p.m. | "An Evening with Aldo Leopold" - Plated Dinner and Presentation | Main Ballroom
A panel highlighting the life and legacy of conservationist Aldo Leopold through historical, scientific and ethical perspectives. Panelists include Steve Brower, Leopold Landscape Alliance, Dr. Jonathan Pauli, UW Madison, and Fr. Robert Grant, St. Ambrose University
Thursday, Oct. 16th, 2025
7:00 – 8:00 a.m. | Registration, Breakfast and Check-in | Outside Main Ballroom
8:00 – 9:15 a.m. | Waterfront Design Keynote | Main Ballroom
"Development with the River in Mind"
- Valery Aguilar, Waterfront Alliance
- Tom Klein, University of Miami
9:15 – 9:30 a.m. | Networking Break | Outside Main Ballroom
9:15 – 9:30 a.m. | Next Gen Scholars Arrive
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Next Gen Summit Welcome and Environmental Career Panel | Main Ballroom
- Valery Aguilar and Tom Klein, WEDG (Waterfront Edge Design) Associates
- Maiya May, PBS Climate Reporter and TV Host
- Andrew Layer, Living Lands and Waters Program Manager
10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Next Gen Summit Rotating Student Activities | Separate Schedule
12:15 – 12:30 p.m. | Student Regroup and Recap | Separate Schedule
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Regular Attendees - Break Out Sessions | Riverfront Hall
Breakout 3: "TBD"
Breakout 4: "TBD"
12:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Networking Luncheon | Main Ballroom
"Exploring Extreme Weather in North America"
- Maiya May, Climate Reporter and Host of the PBS Program, "WEATHERED: Earth's Extremes"
2:00 – 3:15 p.m. | Break Out Sessions
Breakout 5: "TBD"
Breakout 6: "TBD"
3:15 – 3:30 p.m. | Networking Break
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Closing Plenary Session | Main Ballroom
"Lessons from the Meskwaki Nation"
- Joan Flecksing, Director, Meskwaki Nation Department of Natural Resources
4:30 p.m. | Adjourn
CLICK HERE to view a PDF version of this year's conference schedule brochure.