River News & Happenings

Monthly Big Muddy Sessions

MRR and Friends of Big Muddy are teaming up for monthly presentations on Missouri River biology, ecology, history and more given by experts in their field! Join us the second Tuesday of every month at the Bryant Cabin in Overton Bottoms Unit of the Big Muddy NFWR. Click here for the next presentation and directions.

"Gumbo Bottoms" musical hits stage

Lupus, MO, writer Meredith Ludwig teamed up with Boonville musician Cathy Barton to pen a fantastic musical based on stories of Missouri River residents collected during her 2005 Missouri River Communities Network oral history project. "Gumbo Bottoms" hits the stage Nov. 21 - 23 at the historic Thesbian Hall. To check out the great website, click here. Sponsored by Turner Hall River Rats for the Arts.

Patagonia Posts MegaScout Video

Outdoor clothing company Patagonia was one of the sponsors for our 2006 MegaScout 754 mile trash survey of the Big Muddy. Now they've posted a fantastic film about the trip, produced by MRR crewmembers Charlotte Overby and Jim Karpowicz. Check out the video on the Patagonia Blog, The Cleanest Line.

MRR joins Americorps Stream Team Program

River Relief is excited to be participating in the Americorps Stream Team Assistant Program this year. We've hired one of our volunteer crewmembers, Melanie Cheney. She will be helping us and other area Stream Teams.

Vicki named Master Conservationist

Vicki Richmond, our Kansas City Coordinator, will be receiving her second big honor of the year. The Missouri Department of Conservation has named her one of the 2007 Master Conservationists. In addition to her work on the Missouri River, Vicki has been working for over 15 years on stream projects in the Kansas City area, especially with the Blue and Little Blue River Watersheds.

Congratulations Vicki!

MRR receives award from Open Space Council

On Sept. 20, MRR crewmembers Jeff Barrow and Melanie Cheney accepted the William T. Schock "Clean Water Conservancy" award at the Open Space Council's Meremec Basin Summit. The award recognizes MRR's commitment to water conservation across the state, and is a beautiful print of the pre-settlement St. Alban's bluffs by artist Bryan Dawes Haynes.

From the Bottom Up hits bookstores

MRR Coordinator Jeff Barrow spent the last year writing down Chad Pregracke's amazing story about the growth of Living Lands and Waters, the industrial strength river clean-up and restoration organization that inspired Missouri River Relief.

The book has been published by National Geographic. Check out www.fromthebottomup.org and www.livinglandsandwaters.org

 

Water Trail website is online

Missouri DNR's Bryan Hopkins, a muddy water veteran, has been hard at work developing a web guide for Missouri River paddlers, including an interactive map of basic paddler info. Check out the website.