Do we have a historic opportunity to help the River? Here’s what Virginia thinks…
I was born and raised smack dab in the middle of the confluences of the Three Great Rivers, the Mississippi, the Illinois, and Missouri. I grew up a creek-walking, geode-hunting, camping, fishing, hiking, rappelling, Mississippi River Rat turned River Citizen. I’ve been fascinated with the flora and fauna of my world from my first memories: spring ephemerals in the forests, mussels and crawdads in the river and streams…..but even as a young person I could feel that my beloved rivers were under threat.
When I was coming of age there were no majestic Bald Eagles soaring along the Palisades Bluff, no pods of White Pelicans taking rest on the sandbars, and as time went on invasive asian carp invaded the habitat of our native fish.
Fortunately there was a movement in motion that would call out and undo environmental degradation suffered by the planet due to unchecked industrial pollution and unsustainable development. This movement created political will, a new Federal agency, the United States Environmental Agency (USEPA) was founded December 2, 1970, the Clean Air Act (CAA) was enacted, and the pesticide DDT was banned, then the reorganization, expansion, and amendment of the Clean Water Act (CWA) happened in 1972.
These historic environmental policies put the US on the path to healing, and gradually the sky and waters in the Palisades were transformed, by the late 1980’s the American Bald Eagle made a comeback from the brink of distinction to be the main attraction in this post industrial region. Unfortunately, the last decade has seen regulatory rollbacks and lack of oversight for many programs.
I am proud to be a part of the movement that is the Mississippi River Network (MRN) because saving our Rivers is never-ending and MRN is advocating for The Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative (MRRRI) which is a bold, system-wide policy that would create a framework to reverse the decline of my beloved river!
Will You Help?
When you give to the Mississippi River Network you are helping us implement solutions that help communities from Illinois down to New Orleans and north to Minnesota. We work with River Citizens and member organizations, like Virginia and the Piasa Palisades Group of the Sierra Club, to help protect and restore vital River ecosystems that are home to people and wildlife. Will you make a gift today to help the wellbeing of the people, land, water, and wildlife of the River?
Step 1
Become a River Citizen
Yes! The River can count on me!
I am committed to protecting the Mississippi River. Please keep me informed about actions I can take to protect the Mississippi River as a River Citizen, and send me my free e-book!, Scenes From Our Mighty Mississippi!
Step 2
LEARN ABOUT THE RIVER
We protect what we know and love. As a River Citizen, you’ll receive our email newsletter and updates, which offer countless ways to engage with and learn more about the River. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter) , and YouTube, where we share about urgent issues facing the River, such as nutrient pollution, the importance of floodplains and wetlands, and bedrock legislation such as Farm Bill Conservation Programs.
Step 3
Take Action
There are many ways you can jump in and take action for a healthy Mississippi River. Our 10 actions list includes simple steps you can take at any time and wherever you are. Check out our action center for current action alerts, bigger projects we are working on, and ways to get involved.