100_1156 — View from the bluffs of Les Bourgeois Winery

Educating citizens, young and old, is one of Missouri River Relief’s (MRR) goals. This is why I want to help increase awareness about this group of committed river stewards. Besides river clean-ups and education festivals, they have been organizing speakers to present on a variety of topics concerning our beloved Big Muddy. In addition to Columbia’s speaker series, held at the Les Bourgeois Winery overlooking the river, presentations are now being held in Kansas City and St. Charles, also in collaboration with a number of other series partners.

The Big Muddy Speaker Series is a monthly series of presentations on Missouri River ecology, history, biology and more by experts in their field.

CURRENT BIG MUDDY SPEAKER SERIES INFORMATION

CAN BE FOUND HERE

AT THE BIG MUDDY SPEAKER SERIES WEBSITE

River Updates

Rocheport

The Rocheport series is held the second Tuesday of every month in the lower floor of the Les Bourgeois Bistro in Rocheport at 7 p.m.

The Mid-Missouri area is lucky to have so many experts willing to share their knowledge with us about this amazing river, its floodplain and the nature and history that surrounds it. We’re trying to keep the topics varied and interesting, but if you have an interest in the Missouri River, we think you’re going to love these.

Special thanks to Les Bourgeois Vineyards for giving us the opportunity to use their beautiful space overlooking the Missouri River.

Directions

Take I-70 to the Rocheport, MO, exit (Exit #115). It’s the first exit east of the Missouri River.
Head north toward Rocheport.
After about a mile, turn left at the sign for Les Bourgeois Bistro. Follow the signs to the Bistro. You will probably need to park in the lot above the Bistro and walk the trail down.
The presentations are held in the lower level. You can either enter at the restaurant entrance then go down the stairs to your left past the bar, or you can follow the walk to the right of the restaurant and enter through a glass door into the lower level.
14020 W. Hwy BB, Rocheport, MO (click for Google Map)

St. Charles

The St. Charles series is held at 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at Big A’s Restaurant in historic downtown St. Charles.

St. Charles was founded because of its location on the Missouri River. Today we are lucky to have so many experts willing to share their knowledge with us about this amazing river, its floodplain and the nature and history that surrounds it. We’re trying to keep the topics varied and interesting, but if you have an interest in the Missouri River, we think you’re going to love these.

Special thanks to Big A’s Restaurant for giving us the opportunity to use their great restaurant for our series. Please support this great local business!

To Big A’s Restaurant, our host for the Speaker Series.

To get there from I-70 –

Take I-70 to exit 229B – the 5th St. Exit
Merge onto 5th St. headed north toward St. Charles.
After about 1 mile, turn right on Monroe St.
Turn left onto N. Main St.
Big A’s will be on your right (308 N. Main St.) Additional parking is available in the rear.
Click here to view on Google Maps.

Kansas City

The Kansas City series is held at 7:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at Hickok’s Grill in the Kansas City River Market District.

Kansas City was founded because of its location on the Missouri River. Today we are lucky to have so many experts willing to share their knowledge with us about this amazing river, its floodplain and the nature and history that surrounds it. We’re trying to keep the topics varied and interesting, but if you have an interest in the Missouri River, we think you’re going to love these.

Special thanks to Hickok’s Grill for giving us the opportunity to use their great restaurant for our series. Please support this great local business!

Directions

From Kansas City, Kansas:

Take I-70 into Missouri.
Take exit 2D towards Main St.
Merge onto W. 6th St.
Turn left onto Walnut St. Hickok’s Grill will be on your left.

From the East:

Take I-70 into downtown Kansas City.
Take exit 2F toward Grand St./Walnut St./Oak St.
Keep left at the fork and merge onto E Independence Ave.
Turn right onto Walnut St. Hickok’s Grill will be on your left.

LoveYourBigMuddy Expedition

My name is Janet Moreland. I am a Missouri River paddler from Columbia, MO, most often found at or near Cooper's Landing, Rivermile 170.

I graduated from the University of Missouri in December 2012 with a degree in Education, and am now certified to teach middle school social studies and/or science.

In December, 2013, I completed a 3,800-mile source-to-sea solo kayak expedition from the Missouri River source at Brower's Spring, Montana, to the Gulf of Mexico. On April 24, 2013, I skied into the source at 9,000 ft. in the Centennial Mountains, and arrived via South Pass at the Gulf of Mexico on December 5, 2013. My mission included elements of empowerment, education, and environmental stewardship.

In 2016 I successfully completed a solo kayak expedition from the Mississippi River source at Lake Itasca, MN, down to the Gulf of Mexico. And, in 2017 I solo journeyed the entire Yukon River from the Llewellyn Glacier on Atlin Lake, British Columbia, to the Bering Sea at Emmonak, AK.

It is believed that I am the first person ever to successfully solo kayak, from source to sea, the three longest rivers on the North American continent.

Status Updates

The journey is not over until the mission bears fruit:
Empowerment ~ Education ~ Environment

I reached the Gulf of Mexico on December 5, 2013.

Thanks to everyone for their heartfelt support. This was OUR expedition, and for that I am grateful.

Here is a synopsis:
I completed the challenging yet successful ski into
Brower’s Spring with Norm Miller on April 24-25.

I completed three days of incredible
bike riding 100 miles from Hell Roaring Canyon
To Clark Canyon Dam.

I paddled down the Beaverhead River from Clark Canyon Dam to Twin Bridges, where the river worked me hard and I suffered two holes in my boat and a sprained wrist by the second day.

From Twin Bridges, the Beaverhead River turns into the Jefferson River, which is deeper and wider, and one of the more beautiful stretches of this journey. This leg of the journey is neatly tucked under my belt.

I arrived in Three Forks, the headwaters of the Missouri River, on Saturday, May 11, approximately 300 miles downstream from the ultimate source, Brower’s Spring.

I spent the next four months paddling down the Missouri River, stopping at my home base, Cooper’s Landing, on September 16.

My birthday on September 28 marked my arrival in St. Charles, and I paddled through the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers the next day, September 29.

Proceeding down the Mississippi River, I arrived in Memphis, TN, on October 17. Here, I took an extended break of two weeks because of a speaking engagement I flew out to in Bend, OR, at the Conservation Lands Foundation ‘Friends Rendezvous.’

November 1 found me on my way again down the Mississippi River until December 5 when I reached the Gulf of Mexico.

Oh, what a trip it was!

Then, I couldn’t leave the upper Mississippi untouched, so I paddled the whole thing in 2016, Lake Itasca to the Gulf.

Might as well make it a Triple Crown, so I paddled the Yukon River, source to sea, Llewellyn Glacier, B.C., to Emmonak, AK, at the Bering Sea in 2017!

Do what you love and love what you do.

I now want to start writing my book about paddling the Missouri-Mississppi, LoveYourBigMuddy Expedition. Stay tuned.

Every day is a new adventure! Live fast ~ Paddle slow

River Updates

Rocheport

Directions

St. Charles

To get there from I-70 –

Kansas City

Directions

Share this:

Like this:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply