Best of Summer

#2 in a series, this one featuring Spring/Summer, sharing our favorite memories and best photos from 2024

Advance Note: Friends of the Sunflower River!  It's on for Sat Mar 1st, 9am.  Meet at Clarksdale City Hall, our neighbors on the other side of the 2nd Street Bridge, one block north of Quapaw Canoe Company.  This year we are partnering with City Hall, and joining forces for our annual Sunflower River Cleanup.  We river lovers will be focusing on the riverwalk, the West Bank of the river, which has suffered neglect and casual discarding of things over the past year -- since last time we did this!  The weather looks perfect, sunny and high of 64.  Wear gloves and protective shoes or boots of some sort.  Pack a pottle of portable hand sanitizer of some sort, if you have.  The city will provide trash bags, gloves, and grabber tools.  For more information, call 662-621-8164.

Above: our warm season began with some wonderful expeditions, first of which was a group of biology students from the Western Colorado University
Masters of Environmental Management Program.  One week exploring the abundance of nature along the "Muddy Waters Wilderness" section, which is found in between Clarksdale, MS (Quapaw Landing) and Arkansas City, AR (Choctaw Island), and includes the mouth of the White and the Arkansas River and 20,000 acre Big Island, more bears than humans, and the densest population of some endangered birds and crustaceans in North America.

Above: we are dedicated to growing the next generation of river stewards by providing realtime experience and life survival training for our closest young neighbors in Mississippi & Arkansas -- on the biggest river in North America, with the biggest sandbar islands.  Photos include Summer Leadership Canoe Camp, Wilson Arkansas Delta School "Waterproof Eyebrows" Dugout Canoe Project, and Clarksdale's Spring Initiative Program.  A lot of firsts: First time canoeing, first time on Mississippi River for many, first time primitive camping, first time dugout canoe carving, first time sleeping in a tent under the stars, first time best sleep ever, and for a few -- first time away from home!  (Summer camp is one week for high school age girls, one week for boys.  Annually in May/June.  In partenrship with Lower Mississippi River Foundation). 

Behind the scenes: Mark "River" Peoples and I donned suit & tie, and went to DC in April to receive the Small Business of the Year Award 2024 for the State of Mississippi, with a later celebration in our state capital, Jackson, MS in June.  Normally 3-piece suit for us means life jacket, knife belt and hat.  We were a little out of our element.  But happy to represent.

Appreciations: We wouldn't have been able to do what we do over the past 27 years without a terrific team of Mighty Quapaws, our families, our fellow river rat friends, and most of all without our Queen Mississippi River, the voice of God Creator, forever flowing on and on and on -- and over her sublime, muddy waters.

Above: recognized in U.S. Congressional Record, by our Mississippi Congressman, Bennie G. Thompson, July 25, 2024.

And in a letter to the SBA Small Business Administration, from our U.S. Senator, Roger F. Wicker, during Small Business Week, June 2024.

Assorted fun photos: big landscapes like the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River inspire exploration -- and play.  We see a lot of both on our wilderness guided trips.  We see a lot of "upside down smiles" turn the right side up.  We see a lot of people, especially our youth, putting down their smart devices, trying new things, having fun, and getting their best night's sleep ever!

Want to see more?  For now, I've reached my space limit on this newsletter.  You'll have to book a trip, and come join us to get more!

Upcoming: Thursday, May 15th -- special once in a decade -- Artists Fundraiser for the Lower Mississipi River Foundation at the Cutrer Higher Education Center.  Featuring Robin Whitfield, Thad Lee, Rory Doyle, Lisa Webb, John Ruskey, and maybe a few others.  More later -- gator!  

Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 959
"Voice of the Lower Mississippi River"   
Vicksburg, MS ~ Memphis, TN ~ Clarksdale, MS ~ Wilson, AR 
Quapaw Canoe Company ~ Celebrating 27 Years of Service ~ 
~Winner of the SBA 2024 Small Business of the Year Award~