Floatzilla, the largest paddle event on the Mississippi, is set to make a grand return on August 19th, marking its 14th year of celebration. This eagerly anticipated gathering takes place in the picturesque Quad Cities region, drawing paddling enthusiasts from across the nation for an exhilarating day on the mighty Mississippi River.With over a thousand participants and exclusive river closure to other watercraft, Floatzilla provides an exceptional opportunity to immerse oneself in the area's awe-inspiring natural beauty. Whether you possess seasoned paddling skills or are venturing into this exciting activity for the first time, Floatzilla caters to everyone's preferences. The launch sites have been thoughtfully designed to accommodate individuals of all skill levels, offering a range of options. From a leisurely half-mile paddle originating at Credit Island to an adrenaline-fueled eleven-mile launch from Empire Park, an adventure awaits everyone.Even after a thrilling day on the water, the festivities continue at Floatzilla's post-paddle event. Here, participants can unwind and forge connections with fellow paddling enthusiasts while reveling in live music performances and tantalizing offerings from various food vendors. It's an excellent opportunity to relax, share stories, and bask in the camaraderie that comes from sharing a mutual love for the water.One notable highlight of this year's Floatzilla is the ambitious aim to shatter the world record for the largest raft of…

Recently everyone in the Midwest has been talking about the smoky haze that has settled onto our communities from the Canadian wildfires. Wildfires have been a natural part of many ecosystems for thousands of years. Some tree cones need to be heated before they open and release their seeds. Wildfires also help keep ecosystems healthy. They can kill insects and diseases that harm trees. By clearing underbrush, and weak trees, fires can make way for new grasses, herbs, and shrubs that provide food and habitat for animals and birds. At low intensity, flames can clean up debris and underbrush on the forest floor, add nutrients to the soil, and open up space to let sunlight through to the ground. That sunlight can nourish smaller plants and give larger trees room to grow and flourish. Climate change has been responsible for warmer temperatures which intensify drought and dry out forests, making fires more likely to become very destructive and hard to control. So far the 2023 Canadian fire season has burnt around 24.7 million acres shattering all previous records. For comparison 40 years ago the 1983 season only burnt 2.5 million acres of land. Although wildfires are a natural process, high-intensity fires have been making more frequent appearances due to climate change.It may come as a surprise that these wildfires have appeared at the same time as other extreme climate and weather events across the world, but that isnt very unreasonable. According to the National Oceanic and…

This summer’s Explore the River Series has been very memorable to say the least! We had our first Channel Cat Talk that was geared towards kids, and it went well. We had many students from the Bettendorf School District on the first Channel Cat Talk, many who had never been out on the Mississippi River before! It was a great first river experience with many birds and sightings along the way.On our Raptors Along the River Channel Cat Talk, we saw a family of eagles in the tree line along the river in Bettendorf. Two adults and their juvenile child, who still had brown feathers! Dave Murcia with the Wapsi River Environmental Education Center did a great job spotting for us even from far away.We have heard from many great speakers like Karen Anderson who spoke at the Steam Boating Along the Upper Mississippi River Channel Cat Talk and Matt Johnson who spoke at the Infrastructure Along Pool 15.If you have not already had the chance, you need to experience the Explore the River Series for yourself! We have our Saving Monarch Butterflies Riverine Walk this week on July 12th from 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM and July 15th from 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM. This week’s Riverine Walk will take place at Nahant Marsh Education Center, and you will hear from Paige Burke who is the co-founder of the Quad City Monarch Rescue Team about what their team does to help the declining Monarch Butterfly population. You will even hunt for some Monarch eggs and caterpillars in the prairie around the marsh on Saturday…