The People of the River's Mouth -- In Search of the Missouria Indians  -- June 9, 2020

The state of Missouri, and the Missouri River, are named for one of the Native American groups that lived along the river. They called themselves “Nyut-achi”, or the “People of the River’s Mouth”, and the tribe is currently part of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe based in Red Rock, OK. Mike Dickey , Historian and Site Administrator for Arrow Rock State Historic Site, shares the research he has done in cooperation with the Otoe-Missouria Tribe on this lost history and culture.

River of the Sand -- The Bottom of the Big Muddy  -- May 12, 2020

The riverbed is dynamic and changes as flows go up and down. Carrie Elliott and her colleagues at the U.S Geological Survery have been surveying the Missouri River to help understand pallid sturgeon habitat since 2008. They have mapped moving sand dunes, deep holes, trees, and rocky outcrops on the bottom of the river. Carrie shared some of the insights they’ve found about the bottom of the Big Muddy.

Turkey Creek Institute for Phenomenal Awareness -- January 11, 2019

Explore Turkey Creek in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. Presented by the artist, Timothy Amundson.

An Art Historical Journey along the Missouri River -- January 13, 2019
Join curator, Brian Hearn, as he discusses how the Missouri River has influenced history throughout the years; from rocks to paintings! 

From Glaciers to Gentrification -- January 17, 2019

A discussion on the history of Kansas City's West Bottoms. Reviewed is the history of city floodings, Kansas City's beginnings, historical photos, and technical progress. Presented by Larry O'Donnell.

Balancing the “Authorized Purposes” of the Missouri River -- October 20, 2019
This discussion walks you through the 8 Authorized Purposes of the Missouri River. Presented by Larry O' Donnell.

Chouteau Family’s Impact on Missouri, Francois Choteau, & Native American Heritage Fountain -- January 23, 2018

Learn more about how Francois Choteau and the Choteau family have made major contributions to Missourian culture and life. Presented by Keith Nelson of the Choteau Foundation Founders.

Blue River -- March  15, 2018

Join Vicki Richmond give a historical overview and transformation of the Blue River, originating in Kansas and terminating in Missouri.

Stream Teams United -- June 2018
Mary Culler, Director of Stream Teams United discusses the collaborative work of the Stream Teams United organization.

Reversing Global Warming -- Introduction to Drawdown -- November 15, 2018
The Panchama Alliance presents on widespread engagement for combatting global warming and climate change. Presentation by June Holte with the Panchama Alliance.

How the Army Corps of Engineers Regulates Our Waters -- February 25, 2017

Kansas City District Regulatory Project Manager Justin Hughes explains the many roles the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plays in permitting, regulation and development mitigation throughout the country and in the Kansas City area. Many development projects involving our rivers and streams require permitting or approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Amoeba in the Room and Fungi in the Sky -- February 28, 2017

 In this presentation, Professor Nicholas Money offers an overview of the microbial hegemony on earth and describes his recent research linking fungal spores to rainfall. Professor Money is an Anglo-American gentleman of letters and professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with expertise in fungal growth and reproduction.

Next Level Missouri River Water Trail – With Your Help! -- April 12, 2017

The Missouri River Water Trail is an excellent online reference for experienced and wanna-be paddlers on the Big Muddy. From smaller local trips, to safety and guidance signage to the linking of existing trails. Lifetime paddler and conservationist, Greg Poleski, is looking for other like-minded paddlers to link up and take the Water Trail to the next level!

Film & Discussion – Exxpedition – Making the Unseen Seen -- April 25, 2017

In 2014, Diana Papoulias joined a unique expedition. An all-woman crew of scientists, artists, visionaries and sailors boarded a sailboat for a trip across the Atlantic Ocean. The goal of the project, called Exxpedition, was to sample the entire ocean voyage for microplastics suspended in the water column and quantify the impact our plastic lifestyle is having on the most remote regions of the planet – our vast oceans.

Where’s the Mud? Understanding Sediment in the Big Muddy -- May 23, 2017
The movement of sediment plays a huge role in the ecology and hydrology of the Missouri River! With bank stabilization and massive upstream reservoirs blocking sediment flow, the Lower Missouri River carries about 1/5 of the sediment load that it did historically. Dave Heimann with the U.S Geological Survey will look deeper at where that sediment is in the system, and how that effects other aspects of the river.

Next Level Missouri River Water Trail -- June 27, 2017
The Missouri River Water Trail is an excellent online reference for experienced and wanna-be paddlers on the Big Muddy. From smaller local trips, to safety and guidance signage to the linking of existing trails. Lifetime paddler and conservationist, Greg Poleski, is looking for other like-minded paddlers to link up and take the Water Trail to the next level!

 On the River, Learning from the River: Discovering the Missouri in a Canoe -- January 26, 2016 

Sara Dykman, biologist, educator, & adventurer shares stories from her recent source to sea, education-linked canoe adventure on the Missouri River. Learn how she connected the river to classrooms and conservation efforts, and what it is like to travel with the river 3,500 miles from Montana to the Gulf of Mexico.

Whiskey is for Drinking, Water is for Fighting -- February 23, 2016

Joe Bachant retired in 2002 from a 30-year career as Resource Coordinator at Missouri Department of Conservation. As a Research He continues to fight for citizens’ rights to clean water and the importance of natural stream processes. In this “old-fashioned stand up and talk presentation”, Joe shares some of his history fighting for Missouri’s waterways, such as the citizen battle to keep dams from being built on the Meramec River and the future issues we face in water redistribution.

The Value of Volunteers -- March 29, 2016

What happens when you combine pure energy, positive thinking, and a love for rivers? You get a powerhouse advocate like Vicki Richmond, Executive Director of Healthy Rivers Partnership! She has taken on projects that seemed unconquerable and made them a success, such as riparian restoration, water quality, and river cleanups.

Kansas City Sewer History  -- April 26, 2016

John Dunn, an engineer with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, will discuss how cities interact with the Big Muddy (Missouri River) on a daily basis through the infrastructure of pipes, pumps, and treatment plants. From the first drainage pipe in OK Creek to the recent decisions concerning combined sewer overflows and stormwater management, Kansas Cities uses of the river and our attitudes have changed with time.

“Missouri Mudbuggers” an Introduction to Missouri’s Crayfish  -- May 24, 2016

Crawdads, crawfish, freshwater lobsters, river lobsters, mudbuggers, and even ditch crickets all have been used to describe the fascinating crayfish, Missouri’s state invertebrate. Chris Riggert, Stream Team Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation, will review how crayfish species fill inches all over Missouri, from the gravel of our smallest streams to mud banks in our biggest rivers.

Wastewater 101 – Why are my bills so high? -- June 28, 2016

Have you ever wondered what happens to the water that goes down your drain after you use it? Where does it go, how is it treated? With lots of pictures, we will take you from your home, through the collection system, and to a treatment plant. John Dunn, an engineer with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, will walk through a lot of treatment technology and explain how your sewer rates are used.

River Angels -- August 23, 2016

In 2013, Rod Wellington, owner of his own publishing company (Crow Books), paddled his way past Kansas City as the first North American to travel “Source to Sea” from Brower Spring near the Montana Continental Divide to the Gulf of Mexico. Inspired by that trip and others, he has self-published a book called “River Angels”.

 How Chief Seattle’s Words Changed My Life -- September 27, 2016

Colonel DeWayne L. Knott, retired Vice Commander, 139 Medical Group Chief, USAF, & Chief Biologist for the Environmental Protection Agency, describes various ways different types of solid wastes are used to generate electric power. Knott also reads the words of Chief Seattle which inspired him to become an environmentalist.

The Badlands of South Dakota Beautiful but Forbidding -- October 25, 2016

Just west of the Missouri River in South Dakota is the Badlands, a semi-arid region of spires, buttes and inaccessible cliffs in southwestern South Dakota adjacent to the Pine Ridge Reservation; the final resting place for the skeletal remains of mammals that lived zbout 30 million years ago! Dr. Richard Gentile, professor of Geosciences at UMKC gives us a window into a unique world of mud and bone that lies upstream from Kansas City.

Wayne City Landing -- January 27, 2015

Matt Mallinson, Mayor of Sugar Creek, Missouri, & Audrey Elder, historic property specialist, tell us, before historic Westport Landing, there was a steamboat landing near Sugar Creek, Missouri, called Wayne City Landing.

Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, a B&B for Birds -- February 24, 2015

Wildlife Refuge Specialist Corey Kudrna will join us to discuss the importance of floodplain wetlands to the wildlife of the Missouri River valley. The channelization of the Missouri River and connected tributaries have reduced the amount of floodplain wetlands in the valley, making such refuges even more crucial for wildlife habitat.

Measuring Success of Integrated Conservation Practices in Northern Missouri -- March 31, 2015
Mr. Donald Wilkison’s work with the U.S Geological Survey centered on the goal of providing a better understanding of the influence of human activities on water quality in both rural and urban settings. Since 2010, the USGS, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, has been monitoring stream water quality in the Lower Grand River Basin. This talk will focus on how different programs and approaches affect conservation effectiveness.

Replacing A Missouri River Bridge -- April 28, 2015
Lanny Miller, Senior Project Manager for American Bridge Company, will give an overview of the US69 Missouri River Bridge Replacement project and discuss the project construction with particular emphasis on the old Fairfax Bridge demolition. The southbound Route 69 Bridge, Fairfax Bridge, was built in 1933 and  northbound Route 69 Bridge, Platte Purchase Bridge, was built in 1957. Because of their age, both structures require frequent maintenance and costly repairs.

Canoeing the Great Plains – A Missouri River Summer -- May 26, 2015
Patrick Dobson, PhD, writer, historian, and ironworker, will discuss his new book Canoeing the Great Plains: A Missouri River Summer and a journey undertaken nearly 20 years ago that proved to be transformative. Dobson, a novice canoeist when he begins his trip, faces the Missouri at a time of dangerous flooding and must learn to trust himself to the powerful flows of the river and its stark and serenely beautiful countryside.

Mid-Continental Geology -- June 22, 2015
William Gilliland is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Geology, teaching Kansas Historical Geology. Gilliand has worked for 35 years in Kansas as a geologist in a variety of fields. He is currently an Environmental Scientist Division Of Water Resources, Kansas Department of Agriculture. He writes "Throughout my professional career, I have been interested in the interaction between the people of the State of Kansas and the land that they have settled. "

Life in Kansas City 300 Million Years Ago -- July 28, 2015
Dr. Richard Gentile takes us for a peek beneath the surface and back in time to help us comprehend the geologic forces that determined the destiny of Kansas City: the effect geology had on the Cities development, and our lives today. Millions of summers ago, Kansas City was beachfront property: oceans, rain forests, palm trees and giant ferns. Not to mention a strange array of giant creatures — mastodons, mammoths, grizzly-sized sloths — stomping through town.

The Missouri River as a Wildlife Highway -- August 25, 2015
Todd Meese with the Mo Dept. of Conservation will talk about tracking the movement of the increasing number of mountain lions, otters and beaver.  Using these and other species as examples, Meese will tell the unique stories of these animals as well as the general concept of our river valleys as important corridors of wildlife movement and habitat expansion.