It's time to plan a "River Days of Action" Event!

“With River Days of Action, we take a lesson from the River:
we reach our grandeur by uniting.”

Guest blog post by Nancy Porter, LWV UMRR Vice Chair and Representative to One Mississippi

 I still reel with pride in my memory of our ONE Mississippi Annual meeting in St. Paul in November.  I’m proud and happy to serve you on the Board of UMRR.  The Board works hard, and was well represented in at the One Mississippi meeting with several of our outstanding members. 

My role with One Mississippi is representing you as members of the LWV UMRR.   One Mississippi is a group organization including 31 states in the Mississippi River basin working to preserve the River, educate friends and neighbors about the value of the River and celebrate that we have the fourth longest river in the world (behind the Nile, Amazon, and Yangtze). 

Nancy Porter ([email protected])

UMRR formed an InterLeague Organization to gather, now five states, of the Upper Mississippi River Region to work together to save, celebrate and honor our River.  One upcoming event is to create a Mississippi River Day of Celebration.  Our LWV UMRR ILO has been celebrating the River since 2015 and, maybe, you have been part of that celebration. 

There are so many ways to celebrate even if you don’t live next to  the Mississippi.  Of course traveling to a state park or area (restaurants, parks) along the Mississippi is always an option.  But the river affects us through city water treatment plants, sewage plants, and going anywhere to drink or play in water.  Many of you may have a relationship with the Izaak Walton League, or the Fish and Wildlife Refuge or Sierra Club or with the many clubs that support our nature and want to continue to use our resources to fish, hunt and play.  The 100 Grannies in the Iowa City area are very involved with environmental forces. Join with another group, let the press know and have a celebration!

Here are examples of events that LWV UMRR was part of in 2022 and 2024  Your organization can do something like this as well!  (Click the links below to see blog posts on these events)

2022 - Dubuque, Iowa
2024 - New Ulm, Minnesota

​This is something you can organize on your own.  In Iowa we have visited the Candlelight Diner in Clinton, Iowa, we have walked along the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa, we have joined forces with the Wildlife Refuge in Dubuque, Iowa as they celebrated their 100th Anniversary. (This culminated with a celebration, and honoring our Artist, Christine Curry, with a display of her environmental Art Work). 

A clean up walk or watching a video or movie or reading a good book are all ways to celebrate and educate about the River.  We went to the Galena Public Library to learn about the mining days and the Mississippi River influence on the community.  So much to learn in so little time.  I’m available to help brainstorm ideas. 

Our 1Mississippi.org site has lots of information and ideas, too.  To qualify to be listed on that site with a celebratory activity, the event must take place in early June. Send me an email ([email protected]) with UMRR in the subject area. I’d love to help you brainstorm.  We should have an activity in each state.  In today’s world where our environment is being attacked daily, education continues to be a force that won’t go away. 
Join a Mississippi River Celebration.


                                                                                                                                                                 Organizing for our future,
                                                                                                                                                                Nancy

Nancy is a member of LWV Johnson County (Iowa) as well as being a member of the LWV UMRR Board and Action Committee, and representing LWV UMRR in One Mississippi actions and projects.  
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Assembled delegates and friends at the One Mississippi Annual Meeting in St. Paul, November 2024