2024 Channel Cat Talks
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9-10:45 a.m.
- May 28th & 30th - Lock & Dam for Kids
- Anthony Heddlesten, Civil Engineer, USACE
- Geared toward the younger audience, children and their parents will learn about the purpose of a lock and dam, its functions, and how it all works. Participants will have a chance to experience locking through a dam during this exciting and informative journey.
- June 4th & 6th - Steamboating on the Upper Mississippi River
- Karen Anderson, Historian
- Iowa's earliest settlers walked, rode horses, or hopped a log into the Black Hawk Purchase, but by 1854 two miles of north-bound steamboats lined the St. Louis levee. By 1907, the Streckfus family of Rock Island had amassed the largest fleet of luxury steamboats in the world.
- June 11th & 13th - Raptors Along the River
- Dave Murcia, Naturalist
- Learn from a Scott County Conservation Naturalist as he discusses birds of prey in the Quad Cities’ habitats, ecology, and human impact on these amazing flying predators. Be sure to bring your kids to see a live raptor up close and personal!
- June 18th & 20th - Common Chrod RiverCurrents Tour
- Ben Schwind, Education Manager at Common Chord
- A history of American Roots music using the river as our guide. We'll talk about the migration of music up and down the Mississippi River - Jazz in New Orleans, Blues and Gospel in the Delta, Rock and Roll in Memphis, and all their influence on our Quad City area, complete with live performed musical examples and the stories behind the songs.
- June 25th & 27th - Fantastic Voyage on the Mississippi
- Dana Starkell, Adventurer, Paddle to the Amazon, Guinness World Record - 12,181 miles
- At age 19 Dana and his father paddled a canoe from central Canada to the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil. The Mississippi River was a memorable part of this 2-year Guinness World Record Breaking trip. Listen as Dana shares entertaining stories from their adventure, giving a unique perspective of life on the river. Go to paddletotheamazon.com to learn more.
- July 9th & 11th - Quad Cities' "First Residents"
- Beth Carvey, Retired Blackhawk State Historic Site
- Learn about the many cultures of indigenous people that have occupied this region of the Mississippi River Valley over the last 10,000 years. Special emphasis will be the Meskwaki (Fox) and Sauk tribes who, from 1740 to 1831, were the last two indigenous nations to occupy this portion of the river.
- July 16th & 18th - Quad City Pelicans
- Tim Murphy, QC Audubon Society
- Big white birds that look like they come straight from prehistoric times can be found all over the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities. Twenty years ago, this was not the case. Explore possible reasons the American White Pelican population has boomed over the years.
- July 23rd & 25th - The I-74 Bridge & Its Features
- Matt Dotson, Sr. Geotechnical Engineer
- Though planning of the new I-74 bridge began in the early 2000s, the final design plans and construction didn't begin until fall 2017. A more favorable alignment of the bridge and the approaches were chosen, causing many businesses to relocate and other preparations well in advance of construction. Learn about the new bridge foundations, superstructure, maintenance, lighting, and instrumentation items that were incorporated into our signature new bridge.
- July 30th & August 1st - The Music of Bix Beiderbecke & Louie Bellson
- Josh Duffee, Musician / Jazz Historian
- Learn about the recordings of Bix Beiderbecke and Louie Bellson as Josh Duffee plays recordings and talks about the music from each artist for this unique and exciting channel cat talk! This event will take place a few days before the Bix Jazz Festival begins in Davenport, as well as the centennial birthday year for Louie Bellson.
- August 6th & 8th - Our River Landscape Mosaic
- Professors Reuben Heine & Norm Moline
- Pool 15 from Arsenal Island to Hampton reveals how physical geography and human actions combine to shape a landscape. Why does the river flow east-west here? What are key river processes and how have humans changed them? What are the current waterfront uses and environmental issues? Enjoy this river journey with us.
- August 13th & 15th - Plastic Pollution on the Mighty Mississippi River
- Lori McCollum, PACG
- Learn about the plastic pollution and contamination of our most important local water resource. Did you know that 40% of the plastic pollution in the Gulf of Mexico flows down the Mighty Mississippi? Find out what you can do as a Quad Citizen to help keep our waters clear of plastic waste.
- August 20th & 22nd - Commercial Fishing on the Mississippi
- Mike Schafer, Schafer Fisheries
- Come for a ride on the Channel Cat and listen to a commercial fisherman tell stories of how they make a living on the Mississippi River. Stick around to enjoy a fresh-caught snack afterwards!
- August 27th & 29th - Gongoozling with USACE - 200 years on the Upper Mississippi River
- Anthony Heddlesten & Josh Hendrix, USACE
- 2024 is the 200th Anniversary of the First Regulation to Start Cleaning up the Mississippi River! 2024 is the 200th anniversary of the US Army Corps of Engineers’ first appropriation to start working on creating navigable waterways - $75,000 under the Rivers & Harbors Act of 1824. This followed the General Survey Act of 1824 and both were related to the Gibbons v. Ogden decision of 3/2/1824. Lock through the first lock constructed in the 1930s for the 9-foot channel system and learn how it operates. On our way to and from the lock and dam we'll discuss why it was built and the maintenance and upkeep required to keep it running for over 90 years.
CLICK HERE to go to the 2024 Riverine Walks full schedule and details.
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.
