What are 23 things we are thankful for in 2023?

As we wind down the year, we started making a list of things we are thankful for in the past year. With the year being 2023, we thought a list of two thousand and twenty-three things would be appropriate. However, after featuring our 12th freshwater mussel species, we decided that a list of 23 things would be a better read! While this list does not encompass all the things we are thankful for, please join us in honoring the past year by reading our list below. Do any of them stand out to you? What would you add? Let us know by commenting on the blog or sending us an email at info@1mississippi.org. Cheers, and happy 2024!

 

#1 River Citizens – people the River can count on

More than 20,000 people from Mississippi River states, across the basin – and even scattered worldwide – have stepped up to take action on behalf of our mighty Mississippi. We are thankful in 2023 for all the continued and new ways our supporters made a difference. 1 Mississippi sends out a monthly newsletter to our River Citizens – be sure you are getting these updates by signing up now.

 

#2 Twelve inspiring projects from the “Next Gen Ag and Conservation Leaders” program

In 2023, twelve mentees from the Mississippi River Network’s and Green Land Blue Waters “Equipping Next Generation Ag and Conservation Leaders” mentorship program graduated! As part of the program, each mentee created a unique communications project on a topic of their choice. From blog posts and infographics to podcasts and policy experiences, check out all twelve projects here!

 

#3 Media Attention and features

The Mississippi River – and the work of 1 Mississippi and our Mississippi River Network member organizations, garnered more press coverage this year. We are thankful for the various media outlets that publish our stories and perspectives. The stories we tell ourselves about the people, land, water, and wildlife have a major impact. A special shoutout to the Mississippi River Basin Ag and Water Desk for their critical storytelling in 2023.

#4 Our most attended online public events yet!

We create meaningful opportunities for people to learn more about and connect with the people, land, water, and wildlife of the Mississippi River. A huge thank you to the over 500 people who participated in 11 of our inspiring and informational webinars and online events in 2023! Because we have supporters and community members nationwide, we are constantly innovating to best ‘meet our people where they are’ – and in 2023, we saw our greatest turnout yet for online events! You can find most of these recordings on our1 Mississippi YouTube channel.

 

#5 River Otters

It would be negligent of us not to include this cute and chipper river icon! We are thankful the North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) continues its triumphant return from near extinction in the early 20^th century. Nowadays, the river otter can even be found in urban stretches of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities, MN! The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is a National Park Service unit that studies these playful creatures through remote cameras and other techniques – learn more here!

 

#6 Water Protectors

We are thankful to the various and continued Indigenous-led efforts and movements to protect and care for our waterways, from practicing and sharing Traditional Ecological Knowledge to standing up against pipelines and other threats to our precious wetlands, streams, and other water bodies. We celebrate Giiwedinong: The Anishinaabe Museum of Treaties and Culture which opened this past October in Park Rapids, Minnesota. Learn more about the new museum here!

 

#7 Community support for those impacted by Gulf saltwater intrusion

In 2023, a ‘saltwater wedge’ advanced up the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico, impacting Southeast Louisiana’s water supply. This phenomenon is becoming increasingly frequent – connected to drought – with notable occurrences in 1988, 2012, 2022, and 2023. We thank our Network member leaders in Louisiana, like The Water Collaborative, for providing on-the-ground updates, mutual aid, and community support opportunities.

 

#8 LOVE

We are thankful for love! We are inspired by all the ways our supporters and partners love the people, land, water, and wildlife of the River. We know that people are more likely to care for the River and take action on its behalf if they have a relationship with it. And what’s more powerful than a relationship built from love? So, thank you, love!

 

#9 River Days of Action 2023

In June 2023, over 2,000 people from Minnesota to Louisiana attended over 35 events hosted by Mississippi River Network member organizations and partners for River Days of Action! There was something for everyone, from habitat restoration events to environmental justice-focused opportunities and inspiring webinars. We are thankful for opportunities like River Days of Action, where we can collaborate to have a larger impact on our River’s people, land, water, and wildlife.

 

#10 Advocates for Farm Bill conservation programs

The Farm Bill is a package of legislation passed roughly once every five years and sets the stage for our food and farm systems. 2023 is a reauthorizing year for the Farm Bill. We are thankful for the hundreds of our supporters and thousands of others who spoke up and advocated for the protection and increased funding of Farm Bill Conservation programs.

 

#11 Freshwater Mussels

If you read the intro to this list, you’ll know we are very thankful for freshwater mussels, but you won’t find every species we appreciate listed! These incredible animals filter and clean our water. Their population rebound and diversification is another Big River success story; we can’t thank these animals enough. Go ahead, flex your muscles in tribute.

 

#12 People choosing land practices that promote soil health, clean water, and support biodiversity

We have farmer friends and colleagues in our Network. They are bringing their hands-on experience and connection to the land, water, and community to the table. We are thankful for them and the rising number of people – from farmers to city planners — choosing land practices that promote healthy soil and water. What we do on land directly impacts the quality of our water. Learn more about clean-water crops from Friends of the Mississippi River.

 

#13 The people of the Mississippi River Network

We cannot thank the people representing our 69 Mississippi River Network member organizations enough. Representing all ten states the River flows through, plus national groups, we are working together to create a healthier River for people, land, water, and wildlife. In 2023, our Network members continued their commitments to collaboration and worked together in Network meeting spaces and on various initiatives and projects. Together, we are SO much stronger.

 

#14 Historic federal investment opportunities – IRA and IIJA

In 2023, we launched a multi-faceted initiative to leverage funding opportunities — the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)/Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) — on behalf of the River. We are working closely with Mississippi River Network members to ensure the implementation of this historic investment opportunity supports communities impacted by pollution, flooding, and other environmental injustice within the ten Mississippi River states. Be on the lookout in 2024 for more updates and announcements!

 

#15 The City of Memphis

We hosted our 2023 Mississippi River Network annual meeting in Memphis, Tennessee, and we are so grateful. We thank our Tennessee members and other locals we met with! A major highlight was taking a Riverboat cruise and the opportunity to connect with the River and the area. We also celebrate the recent opening of Tom Lee Park, steeped in history and legend, and now, as Memphis Riverfront Park Partnership puts it, “Tom Lee Park is where Memphis returns to the river.”

 

#16 Pollinators!

Thank you, bees, butterflies, beetles, hummingbirds, bats, moths, wasps, and all of our other incredible pollinators. And thank you to all the people restoring habitat – from yards and community projects to roadsides and rangelands – so our pollinator friends can thrive! Actions that help pollinators also help our water. Learn more about pollinator conservation here.

 

#17 Stories of Hope

The level of hardship, destruction, and despair on Earth can be hard to bear. While we work together to right the wrongs, we can look to stories of hope as lighthouses guiding us through the dark. We are thankful to all the brave storytellers (and messengers) out there, spreading stories of hope and empowerment. Need a dose of good news? One place to look is Happy Eco News.

 

#18 New, and loyal, followers on social media

Fundamental to 1 Mississippi is the belief that we are stronger together. As the only public program dedicated to building community and impact along the entire Mississippi River, we are humbled that our community has grown to over 20,000 people strong. Social media continues to be a space where we can rally our supporters, share local events and opportunities, provide education, and grow community. A huge thank you (and welcome) to all our followers on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X. P.S. Follow us on your favorite platform if you aren’t already!

 

#19 Our 2023 funders, sponsors, and individual donors

Two thousand and twenty-three ‘thank yous’ to the foundations, sponsors, and individual donors that supported our work in 2023. We all carry different pieces of the puzzle in caring for our River, and financial support is essential. We are a small nonprofit organization that emphasizes relationships. If you ever want to discuss funding and donor opportunities with us, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@1mississippi.org or jump in and make a donation here. We would love to connect with you!

 

#20 Community leaders speaking up in the face of environmental injustice

We stand in solidarity and support frontline community leaders working hard to make their communities better, safer, and healthier. We thank organizations like RISE St. James and Louisiana Bucket Brigade, who are doing everything possible to tackle local environmental injustices that impact us all. We are all connected and interdependent. Learn more about Mississippi River environmental injustices in our new story map.

 

#21 The tributaries

The Mississippi reaches its giant size because of all the other rivers, streams, and waterbodies that flow into it. As it winds to the ocean, the Mississippi River drains about 40 % of the continental U.S. – a basin between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains. In addition to water, the tributaries carry physical items like sediment, pollution, and driftwood. In the more metaphysical sense, the tributaries also carry culture, lifestyles, and upstream decisions. We are thankful for the tributaries that make your communities great, and flow on to make our Mississippi River mighty.

 

#22 Wetland restoration projects

Sometimes called the ‘kidneys of the planet,’ wetlands are vital to water quality, wildlife habitat, and more. A fraction of wetlands that existed in pre-colonial times remain on the American landscape. We are thankful for many people, organizations, businesses, and governments restoring and building wetlands, like Mississippi River Network member The Wetlands Initiative. Learn more about their Smart Wetlands here!

 

#23 Mississippi River storytellers

We are thankful to be connected to some of the most impactful storytellers for the River. For instance, Mississippi River Network member, A House Unbuilt launched their new online, interactive storytelling website, Relay of Voices. The website features a collection of hundreds of voices depicting how the Mississippi River shapes a nation and how we shape the Mississippi. You can take a virtual path from headwaters to Gulf to enjoy the stories or explore them by theme.

 

Thank you for reading! We wish you a wonderful wind down to 2023!