Lower Mississippi River Dispatch Vol 8 No 3
Quapaw Canoe Company
Clarksdale, MS -- Helena, AR
Serving the Lower Mississippi Valley
Thursday, March 8th, 4pm - 10pm
Full Redbud Moon - Memphis
My daughter brought the news to my attention -- Spring must be here -- the redbuds are blooming! And the moon is waxing full… it must be the full Redbud Moon!
In honor & celebration of Living Lands & Waters and 1Mississippi in Memphis this week we are offering a sublime Mississippi River passage from the 3rd Chickasaw Bluff (Meeman-Shelby Forest) to downtown Memphis, which straddles the 4th Chickasaw Bluff by the light of the moon.
This is an opportunity to experience the power and spiritual majesty of the Mighty Mississippi. There is no other place to get closer to the heavens -- paradoxically on the face of the waters of the biggest river in North America! We have purposely designed these Full Moon trips to connect you to the river in its most inspiring and soulful times of day: in that special light of day at sunset with the added spiritual thrill of paddling the water in the light of the full moon.
(keep reading below for complete details)
March 16-31
Complete Circumnavigation
of greater St. Louis
with Mike Clark
of Big Muddy Adventures
Ile St. Louis. We’re not talking the one with the Notre Dame in Paris, but the greater metropolitan area of St. Louis. You can paddle around the entire city (with a nine-mile portage).
Done in service of the students of St. Ann’s of Normandy and the rivers of Mid-America! Involving the Mississippi River, the Missouri River, the Meramec River, the Bourbese River, 6 dozen bridges, 4 dozen communities, and national landmarks like the Great Arch, the confluence at Columbia Bottoms, and challenging obstacles like the Chain of Rocks Waterfall and 100+ miles of upstream paddling!!!
You can join the expedition along the way - on the Wiki, on the water, or at a 1 Mississippi Celebration near the Confluence. You can help support the students of St. Ann’s of Normandy.
(keep reading below for complete details)
Thursday, March 8th
Full Redbud Moon Details:
Put in at Meeman-Shelby Forest and paddle into the rich undulating colors of sunset as the river swirls between islands and floodplain forests.
Make a supper landing, build a fire, and enjoy the rising of the moon over the Mississippi River. Set off again in the canoe paddling now by the mysterious undulating light of the Full Moon past the mouth of the Loosahatchie River, the Wolf River, and then down along Mud Island and into the Memphis Harbor at the foot of Beale Street. The sandbars are as bright as snowfields in the full moon and the river glistens like cold stainless steel.
17 river miles. Meet and park your car at Mud Island (secure parking). Shuttle to Shelby Forest Boat Ramp. Return to Memphis by canoe, your car will be waiting. Includes life jackets, paddles and all necessary river & emergency gear. All ages welcome. We have life jackets for all sizes & shapes! Leave towel & change of clothing in your car. Be prepared for possible rain showers. Bring daypack for personal items. Place cell phone, camera and any other electronics in zip locks, drybags or dry box. Schedule subject to change in case of inclement weather.
Call 662-902-7841 for details & reservations or write john@island63.com. No better way to prepare for the equinox -- with a roaring driftwood fire, good company and the Full Redbud Moon rising over the biggest river in North America!
March 16-31
Circumnavigation
of greater St. Louis
with Mike Clark of Big Muddy Adventures.
Michael Clark of Big Muddy Adventures in collaboration with John Ruskey of Quapaw Canoe Company, adventure writer/photgrapher David Hanson and St. Ann's Catholic School are announcing the St Louis Circumnavigation 3: an Adventure Learning Expedition.
From March 16-30, 2012, Michael, John and David will be paddling 193 miles on the four interconnected Rivers (Mississippi, Missouri, Meramec and Bourbeuse) that make up a ring around the St. Louis region. The mission of this expedtion is to collaborate with the students of St. Ann's via the internet to highlight the great beauty and vitality of the Rivers and the habitats and all living species that they sustain. The students have prepared individualized research projects and field studies. They will also focus on the many issues of neglect and harm that these Rivers face. The expedition team will be reporting back to the students and the general public via the expedition web site.
St. Ann's Catholic School in St. Louis MO is the primary sponsor of this expedition and distance learning project, but additional sponsors are requested. All proceeds from the expedition will be used to fund the replacement of the antiquated classroom technology and computer lab at St. Ann's which enable the talented staff and students to do such unique and valuable educational projects as this.
Opportunities to join the expedition as guest paddlers are also available as a form of sponsorship.
To become a sponsor of this expedition, please contact us.
Michael Clark, mike@2muddy.com 314-610-4241
John Ruskey, john@island63.com
David Hanson, dhanson11@gmail.com
St. Louis Circumnavigation:
An Adventure Learning Expedition
We will circumnavigate St. Louis beginning on March 16 and concluding on March 30. We begin in Washington MO with the nine mile portage (walk down hwy 47 to Union and the Bourbeuse River), continue down the Bourbeuse into the Meramec, following it to the Mississippi. At that point we will make the turn heading upstream and continue for 103 miles against the flow through the Confluence and then up the Missouri back to Washington where we started. It should be a great challenge and a great expedition.
This expedition as all of ours have been in the past is part of a distance learning project. I have students develop individual research and reporting projects, field studies, etc... that we report back to the students via our internet connection from the Rivers. The students and I are currently developing those projects and will have them ready for publishing on the Expedition web site by the end of next week.
More details...
Beginning on March 16, 2012, Michael Clark of Big Muddy Adventures, John Ruskey of Quapaw Canoe Company and David Hanson, adventure photo journalist, will join with the students of St. Ann’s Catholic School in St. Louis MO, and all River Citizens and River Stewards to complete an epic adventure learning project, a complete circumnavigation of the St. Louis region by canoe. The students will be engaged in the expedition through an interactive on-line component which highlights individual research projects and field studies.
This is the third circumnavigation of St. Louis for the students and the explorers. The expedition team will paddle 193 miles on the ring of four rivers, the Mississippi, Missouri, Meramec and Bourbeuse. The mission is to highlight the beauty of the rivers, the interconnectedness of all residents of this region to the Rivers, and the myriad of issues which face our greatest resource, our water. The expedition route begins in Washington, MO with a nine mile portage from the bank of the Missouri to the Union, MO boat ramp and the Bourbeuse River. There the team will embark on a 193 mile odyssey down the Bourbeuse and Meramec Rivers to the Mississippi. From there, they will paddle up the Mississippi 34 miles to the Great Confluence and make the turn for an arduous 69 mile paddle up the Missouri back to the starting point.
Along the way, the expedition will paddle under 43 bridges and meander through dozens of towns and cities and all the while deliver a package of information via the internet correlated to an adventure learning curriculum with the students of St. Ann’s. The student research projects will be highlighted on the web site along with the expedition team journals, paintings, photos, and videos. The general public will be welcomed to follow along.
On a number of dates during the expedition, content experts and guest paddlers can join Michael, John and David to explore and study the effects of humanity on our Rivers and also bear witness to the incredible beauty and vitality of the natural conditions of the Rivers and the habitats that they sustain.
This expedition’s primary sponsor is St. Ann’s Catholic School, an inner city elementary and middle school. St. Ann’s is involved in a variety of learning projects and initiatives that focus on conservation and healthy living, including a Missouri Stream Team chapter studying and maintaining the creek at the back of the school property, a large and organic school garden that helps to supplement the home cooked school lunch program, and a very large and effective recycling program.
We are seeking additional sponsors to support the expedition and St. Ann’s. All of the proceeds of this project will be used by St. Ann’s to upgrade the classroom technology and computer lab to allow the school to continue to make the connections and inspire the learning in such a unique way as this adventure learning project.
Maybe you would like to join the adventurers for a day of paddling? $250 sponsorship will by you a seat for a day in one of the 4-man Bell Northshore canoes, or in the 8-seater Clipper canoe, but you do have to paddle.
You are invited to become a sponsor of this expedition. St. Ann’s School is accepting the tax deductible contributions to offset the costs of providing this unique learning adventure to the students... As sponsors of the expedition, you will receive recognition of your support on the Sponsors Page of the expedition web site with a prominent display of the sponsor’s logo and a link to the (Sponsor Name) web site; Promotional opportunities for (Sponsor Name) through media coverage, photos of products being used on the Expedition and at Live Visits and Presentations before, during and after the Expedition a letter recognizing your tax deductible contribution to St. Ann’s School
In order to confirm your sponsorship and to facilitate the recognition you deserve, we ask that you complete the attached sponsorship form and send a check payable to
St. Ann’s Catholic School:
St. Ann’s Catholic School
7532 Natural Bridge Road
Normandy, MO 63121
If you have questions or would like to discus this sponsorship proposal, please contact Michael Clark of Big Muddy Adventures and St. Ann School at mike@2muddy.com or call 314-610-4241.
St Louis Circumnavigation Sponsor Information
Name of Sponsor Contact _______________________________________________
Organization or Business Name ___________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________________
City __________________________ State ________ Zip Code _________________
Phone of Contact Person ________________________________________________
Email of Contact Person ________________________________________________
Date ______________________________
Amount of Donation $ ___________________________________
If you would like to memorialize your donation or state a specific purpose please fill in the line or lines below.
Donation in Honor of (Name or Organization __________________________________
Donation in Memory of (Name for Memorial) __________________________________
Donation Purpose (State Reason for Giving) _________________________________
If you would like to receive email updates on the Expedition progress or you would like to receive the Newsletters of Big Muddy Adventures or Quapaw Canoe Company, please add your email address and check the box below.
Yes, I would like to receive email updates regarding the St. Louis Circumnavigation.
Yes, I would like to receive Quapaw Canoe Company’s Lower Mississippi River Newsletter.
Yes, I would like to receive Big Muddy Adventures’ Newsletter
If you think this cause and expedition are worthy of sharing with a friend, you can provide us contact information and we will be sure to share this sponsorship request.
Friend’s Name _____________________________________________________
Friend’s Email Address _______________________________________________
Day 1 Friday March 16, 2012
Walking to Water
Green Hornet Mike Clark and David Hanson
Quapaw Bell John Ruskey and Mighty Quapaw
Leave BMA 10 AM to Ramp on Washington
Portage to Union 12 PM
Put In Bourbeuse 3 PM
Camp at Old Mill
Shuttle Driver: _______________________
Day 2 Saturday March 17, 2012
St. Patrick’s Day “Chasing Snakes on the Meramec”
Clipper with M Clark and D Hanson, Jack Pizzo, D Bauer, 2 guest
Green Hornet David Hanson, Ben Griffiths, Mark Peoples and 1 guest paddlers
Quapaw Bell John Ruskey and Betsy Tribble
All Meet at BMA 8 AM Outfit (paddling gear, camping gear, food and drink
Leave BMA 9 AM
Put in Hwy 44 Ramp on Bouebeuse 11 AM
Shuttle Driver _________________ D. Bauer leave vehicle at take out
Day 3 Sunday, March 18, 2012
Research and Expedition Long Paddle Day
Unload Guests at 10 AM
Green Hornet with, Mike Clark and Mark Peoples
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and David Hanson
Shuttle Driver _________________ D. Bauer pickup vehicle at take out
Day 4 Monday, March 19, 2012
River Stewards Day
River Kids, St. Ann Stream Team, Mighty 211 Arnold Stream Team
Junebug1 - M Clark, 4 River Kids, 4 St. Ann ST, 2 Arnold ST, B Griffiths, C Thomas, B Tribble
Green Hornet - M Peoples, D Bauer, J Pizzo,
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and David Hanson
Shuttle Driver _________________
Meet at George Winter Park 12 PM
Take Out Flamm City 5 PM
Day 5 Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Port of Call and the River that Works
Green Hornet - M Clark and Mark Peoples?
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and David Hanson?
Day 6 Wednesday, March 21, 2012
The American Bottoms
Levee Hike.
Green Hornet - M Clark and Mark Peoples?
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and David Hanson?
Day 7 Thursday, March 22, 2012
The River and Church
Visits to Holy Family Catholic Church est 1697 in Cahokia, IL.
Visit Old Cathedral St. Louis est
Green Hornet - M Clark and Mark Peoples?
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and David Hanson?
Day 8 Friday, March 23, 2012
The Happy River
Mosenthein Island, Chain of Rocks, Duck Island
Green Hornet - M Clark and Mark Peoples?
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and David Hanson?
Day 9 Saturday, March 24, 2012
River Citizens, River Stewards Unite!
Trash Bash at Confluence
River Citizens Celebration at Columbia Bottoms
Confluence Trash Bash Zero Out the Bottoms
Campout with Expedition
Clipper: Ben Griffiths and Guest Paddlers,
Junebug 1- M Clark and Guest Paddlers, M Peoples
Green Hornet - M Clark and Mark Peoples?
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and David Hanson?
Shuttle Drivers _________________, _________________
Day 10 Sunday, March 25, 2012
Up the Mighty MO
Cora Island, Fort Bellefontaine, Pelican Island
Clipper: M Clark, S Schnarr and Guest Paddlers
Green Hornet - David Hanson and Mark Peoples
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and Mighty Quapaw?
Day 11 Monday, March 26, 2012
Canoe! Canoe!
Boeing and Canoe Design
Trashology
Clipper: M Clark, S Schnarr and Boeing Paddlers
Green Hornet - David Hanson and Mark Peoples
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and Mighty Quapaw?
Shuttle Driver _________________
Day 12 Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Adventure Learning!
Live Broadcast from St. Charles in AM
Green Hornet - M Clark and D Hanson
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and Mighty Quapaw?
Day 13 Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Adventure Learning!
Hydrology, Zoology, Water Quality
Green Hornet - M Clark and D Hanson
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and Mighty Quapaw?
Day 14 Thursday, March 29, 2012
Adventure Learning!
Hydrology, Zoology, Water Quality
Green Hornet - M Clark and D Hanson
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and Mighty Quapaw?
Day 15 Friday, March 30, 2012
Circle Complete!
Live Broadcast Washington MO in early afternoon
Green Hornet - M Clark and D Hanson
Quapaw Bell with John Ruskey and Mighty Quapaw?
Shuttle Driver _________________