Despite its good intentions, the environmental conservation movement has had negative impacts on Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. Join us for a special webinar on International Day of Action for Rivers - Thursday, March 14th at 12 pm CST.

In this prerecorded webinar, our presenters from The Avarna Group overlay key conservation milestones alongside social and cultural events in the United States, with a particular focus on the Mississippi River basin. We offer this webinar so that together, we can create a more just and equitable future for all.

Whether you plan to attend or not, explore our new story map to learn more about environmental injustices on the Mississippi River.

• The Mississippi River should be a national priority for restoration and protection, and management of the River must be looked at holistically. We applaud efforts such as the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative (MRRRI)
• Invest in water infrastructure for the long term and minimize future costs to communities like opportunities found in the next Water Resources Development Act to amplify nature-based solutions to flooding
• Increase funding for farmer-supported solutions for clean water and healthy habitats as found in the Farm Bill Conservation Programs and the Inflation Reduction Act

Read our full DC fly-in press release here. It includes an announcement of our new workstream, which has awarded eight MRN members mini-grants focused on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to benefit the River. 

Have you ever wondered what it's like to canoe or kayak all ~2,300 miles of our Mississippi River? You are in luck! Join us for a powerful conversation featuring acclaimed author and speaker Eddy Harris, Mississippi River Network Director of Outreach and Education Michael Anderson, and Mississippi Park Connection Program Manager Devin Brown. Eddy and Michael have paddled thousands of miles, including soloing the whole Mississippi River, and Devin is preparing to launch her Mississippi River 'source to sea' paddle this Spring!

More details and registration will follow soon. But for now, please save the date: April 25th, 5 - 7 pm CST, in St. Paul, Minnesota, at Bad Weather Brewing Company, and streamed online. This exciting event is in partnership with Great River Passage Conservancy. Please email manderson@1mississippi.org with questions.

The Mississippi River Paddle Weekend includes races and recreational tours for paddlers of all varieties (canoe, kayak, SUP, etc.), all skill and age levels, and several distances from 5 to 150 miles. Organized by the stellar Two Paddles, all races and tours are on June 9 except the MR150 race, which begins on June 7. Additionally, the weekend culminates with the Mississippi River Community Festival on June 9, which is a celebration with food, music, an awards ceremony, and educational tables where local organizations will connect with the community. 

This is one of the premiere paddling events on the Mississippi River and a great way to connect with the River! It's also an anchor event for River Days of Action 2024 and Mississippi River Network, and many of our member organizations and partners will be there to meet the community. Whether you plan to paddle or be part of the Festival or just want to learn more – find the latest info here.

Did you know that the longest wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states is along our Mississippi River? The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge stretches 261 river miles from Wabasha, Minnesota, to Rock Island, Illinois, and encompasses 240,000 acres of critical floodplain. This year marks 100 years since concerned citizens got together and spoke up for the people, land, water, and wildlife of the Mississippi River and protected this area against what Izaak Walton League founder Will Dilg dubbed would have been 'the drainage crime of a century".

Learn more about the Refuge's history and find different events and opportunities occurring all year long here: https://www.uppermiss100.com/