Channel Cat Talks, Tuesday, May 29, through Thursday, August 30, 9 a.m.
Riverbend Commons Dock, 2951 East River Drive, Moline IL
Riverine Walks, Wednesday, May 30, through Saturday, September 1, 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Various Quad Cities Locations
Wildlife, history, geology, and more will be explored when River Action hosts presentations in this year's Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks – “Explore the River Series” celebrations of the Quad Cities' unique culture and landscape taking place four times weekly from May 29 through September 1.
Channel Cat Talk participants tour the Mississippi River aboard the Channel Cat Water Taxi while experts provide narration on the themed surroundings, and on May 29 and 31, the series begins with attendees discovering the “History of the River.” The Mississippi's beginnings trace back to when the first of the glaciers changed the river's course, and in this presentation by Jack Tumbleson of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Channel Cat participants will learn about the region's part in major events that shaped the nation. Headsets are provided to all attendees of this River Action series, and the summer's Channel Cat talks will continue with: “Building a Bridge for the Future: The I-74 Mississippi River Bridge Project” (June 5 and 7, and August 28 and 30), “David B. Sears: The Pioneer of Water Power on the Mississippi” (June 12 and 14), “Rafting Logs to the QC Mills” (June 19 and 21), “Birding on the River” (June 26 and 28), “Canoe Voyage – Quad Cities to New Orleans” (July 10 and 12), “Where Does All the Sand and Gravel Come From?” (July 17 and 19), “Asian Carp in the QC” (July 24 and 26), “Restoring Floodplains for People and Nature” (July 31 and August 2), “Operations and Maintenance of the Nation's Waterways” (August 7 and 9), “River Landscape Mosaic” (August 14 and 16), and “The History of Fort Armstrong and the Arsenal Island” (August 21 and 23).
Riverine Walk participants explore the Quad Cities through a series of guided walks at various area locales, beginning this year on May 30 and June 2 with Bob Bryant of the Native Plant Society. In “Plants and Ecology of the Mississippi River and its Floodplain,” Bryant will guide attendees as they tour Davenport's Credit Island, a fascinating park with significant natural and cultural history. The other 2018 Riverine Walk presentations include: “I'm Freezing Out Here!” (June 6 and 9), “Understanding Floodplains and Floodplain Management” (June 13 and 16), “The QC Story of Dred and Harriet Scott” (June 20 and 23), “A Closer Look at Emerald Ash Borer” (June 27 and 30), “Lost Grove Lake: A Historical and Ecological Perspective” (July 11 and 14), “Sylvan Island Area: History, Recreation, and Sustainability” (July 18 and 21), “Raising Monarch Butterflies” (July 25 and 28), “Behind Closed Doors – Putnam Museum's Artifacts,” (August 1 and 4), “Downtown Rock Island: Still Rock Solid” (August 8 and 11), “A Look at Black Hawk State Historic Site Through the Years” (August 15 and 18), “Moline Riverfront Development –25 Years and Counting” (August 22 and 25), and “Best Management Practices within an Urban/Riparian Interface” (August 29 and September 1).
Channel Cat Talks take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. and are $14 per person, while Riverine Walks are held on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m., with admission $6 per person or free for River Action members. For more information on both series, call (563)322-2969 or visit RiverAction.org.
