June 2 is the very first National Mississippi River Day! Thanks to the work of 1 Mississippi, we now have a day each year to celebrate one of the most iconic rivers in the world, and everything it supports, from wildlife and water to people and places.
The Mississippi stretches about 2,350 miles, winding its way from northern Minnesota down to southern Louisiana. But it’s more than just a river, it’s a symbol of connection and a part of daily life for so many.
To celebrate, members of our team shared personal photos and reflections on what the river means to them. From childhood memories to family adventures and moments of healing, the Mississippi runs deep in all of us.
Andy Allison, Vice President of Living Collections:
"Kayaking on the Mississippi provides me a great way to bond with family, the river has even become part of my love story. The lily pads were so big we felt like we were in the Amazon rainforest! And perhaps most memorably, the bank of the Mississippi River is where I got engaged to the love of my life."
Erin Martin, Director of Education:
"This photo of Adams(Brother) and I was taken during a family trip to New Orleans. Although we grew up in Dubuque, boating and jet skiing on the Mississippi, it was amazing to experience it on an airboat. The South gave me a whole new perspective. It was both humbling and eye-opening to see how the river shapes life so differently down there, deepening my appreciation for a place that’s always been part of my life."
Jessica Schlader, Development Manager:
"The Mississippi River is woven into the fabric of our lives here in Dubuque. My husband and I take our two little ones creek stomping, and we spend countless afternoons at the River Museum, where their eyes light up every single time. The Mississippi adds wonder to our everyday, and some of our best memories are made along its banks: camping under the stars, watching barges pass through Lock and Dam 11, cheering at the Dragonboat races, and paddling through the peaceful backwaters. We even planted native flowers and grasses in our yard. Not just for the pollinators, but to honor the tallgrass prairie roots of this region. I want my kids to know that what we do on land affects everything downstream. I’ll never forget looking out over the Mississippi from my hospital window as we welcomed our firstborn. Our kids’ first word wasn’t river, but it was definitely in the top 20. As my kids grow, so will our love for this river and our responsibility to care for it."
Callie Boatright, Aquarist II
"Being near a body of water has always been important to me. That was part of the draw when I decided to move out here to the Midwest. Water is essential to life and calming. The Mississippi River also leads to the ocean, and the ocean will always have my heart, so it helps me to feel connected even when I live so far away."
Denny Weiss, Educator:
"I grew up in Burlington, IA. I started at a very young age of hunting, trapping, and fishing on the Mississippi River. I got a BS degree from IA State University in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology and worked for 35 years as a fisheries research technician for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. I did all of my work on the Mississippi River out of the Bellevue Fisheries Station. I commercial fished while I was in high school and going to college in the 1970's. I retired from the IA DNR 11 years ago and now I commercial fish part-time in the summer and fall and fur trap for four months in the fall and winter. I use to give 80-100 presentations each year while I was employed with the DNR at schools, girl/boy scout outings, fishing clubs and for normally 6 days at the Iowa State Fair each year. I have been involved with the student/teacher workshop that the River Museum puts on every September since it first began over 20 years ago. I have always loved educating people about all of the neat things that are in the great outdoors and right at our front door. I really enjoy taking my wife and 4 granddaughters along when I am hunting, fishing, or trapping. I hope someday they will become a naturalist or environmental educator themselves."
Nina Schaefer, Digital Marketing and Graphic Design Coordinator:
"Growing up in Platteville, I’ve always had the Mississippi River nearby. I spent much of my time enjoying its many activities, from fishing and kayaking to boating, but my favorite activity is hiking. There’s something calming about walking through the Driftless Region, taking in the views, and capturing the unique landscape and beautiful nature with my camera. Being around nature so often has given me a deeper appreciation for the land. I’ve learned that it’s not enough to just enjoy these places; we need to take care of them too. The Mississippi has given me so many incredible experiences, and I want to help protect it for generations to come."
Codi Sharkey, Conservation Programs Manager:
"Water is my healing component. Ever since I was a little Codi, I have been around water. One of my earliest memories was fishing and camping along the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge with my beloved grandparents, learning how to tie a hook, filet a fish, and about the native plants my grandma would point out. These early memories unknowingly set me on a path to center my career around.
Growing up in SW Missouri around a lake cemented my love for the water, and that love grew deeper into a connection when I would visit my grandparents in Dubuque, along the Mighty Mississippi. My grandma would tell me about one of her favorite trips with my grandpa, when they visited and camped by the headwaters of the Mississippi at Lake Itasca (Omashkoozozaaga’igan, the Ojibwe name), and I would dream of the day when I could repeat that trip. I lost my dear grandma to cancer in 2018, and in 2021, when I was finally able to visit the headwaters and walk across the start of the river, like she had talked about so often in her reminiscing, I felt a sense of healing. In that moment alone, my love and connection to the river deepened even further, realizing that even though I may never get to hug her again, being in the places she loved and cherished was just like a hug from grandma.
Even through my own cancer diagnosis, water was my healing component. The short window of time between treatments, where I felt human enough to get outside, I gravitated toward the water. Just sitting in the peace of moving water, with birds singing, herons fishing, water spiders dancing on the tops of the ripples, and the booming aquatic life below the surface was more healing to me than the treatments and therapy. To this day, I use water therapy- just floating the backwaters in my personal yacht (Kayak) is healing.
This love, connection, and healing I get from water and the river makes my job feel more like a passion project. As the Conservation Programs Manager at the River Museum and being active in 1 Mississippi, I have learned more about the plight of our waterways and the river. How can something I love so much, that offers healing on another level, be treated like it is? The litter and nutrient pollution, the invasive species that are wreaking havoc, the overuse of salt and pesticides that taint this healing entity- how?
For the very first time, we have a nationally declared day for one of the biggest sources of healing our natural world gives us- National Mississippi River Day on June 2nd. I will be sitting somewhere along the shore, soaking it up, and I encourage everyone reading this to do the same. We all need a little healing from time to time, and one of the best healing components there is in the world is water. Indigenous cultures like the Lakota have phrases for this: Mní Wičhóni, water is life. Water is healing. And we have the perfect opportunity to return the favor to our waters on National Mississippi River Day."