River News & Happenings
MR340 looking for a few good river rats
Missouri River Relief is proud to be the chosen charity supported by this year's Missouri River 340, the world's longest continuous river race from KC to St. Charles. The race is looking for volunteers to help at checkpoints, with fundraising and even preparing food for racers at checkpoints. If you would like to help at the Jefferson City (Noren Access) Checkpoint, please contact us. Or, check out this flier (pdf) for more info»
Monthly Big Muddy Programs
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.
MRR is GenGreen featured org for March
Missouri River Relief is proud to be selected as the featured organization for March in the state of Missouri on the www.GenGreen.org networking website. Check out our posting.
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.
New MRR boat captain Jen Courtney brings in a load of trash at the April 26 Hartsburg Clean-up . 161 volunteers brought in 5.1 tons of trash at the one-day event.
photo by Melanie Cheney
High water in Hartsburg!
High water in Hartsburg didn't keep 161 volunteers from showing up for our April 26 clean-up in mid-Missouri.
click here for more Hartsburg results»
Upcoming Events
We hope you'll join us at one of our clean-ups throughout the Lower Missouri River valley. You can register for Missouri River Relief hosted events by clicking here»
- May 17
Yankton, SD, Clean-up: Helping out the Yankton locals in their fifth annual clean-up. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Wild & Scenic River!
- June 7
Sioux City Area Clean-up: Our first time in the uppermost city on the channelized river. Where three states come together! - June 14
Washington, MO Clean-up and River Festival: Some locals called us back for a bigger and better clean-up in this classic rivertown. It'll be followed by an afternoon of food, music and great educational booths and activities. Click here for 2 page brochure (pdf) » - July 15-19
Missouri River 340: We've been asked to provide safety boats and clean-up during the world's longest continuous river race. - September 13
Confluence Clean-up, St. Louis, MO: The convergence of two of this nations largest rivers: the Missouri & Mississippi - October 4
Kansas City, MO, Clean-up: Our fall tradition! This year at La Benite Park, catching the refuse downstream of the big city.
