In Wildness
wildness is a state of being, rather than a distinct place
Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 977 "Voice of the Lower Mississippi River" ~ Quapaw Canoe Company ~ Celebrating 27 Years of Service ~ ~Custom Guiding & Outfitting on the Lower Mississippi River~ ~ Winner of the SBA 2024 Small Business of the Year Award ~
“As stewards of God’s creation, we are called to make the earth a beautiful garden for the human family (and all creation). When we destroy our forests, ravage our soil, and pollute our seas, we betray that noble calling.” ~ Pope Francis, Meeting with Young People, Santo Tomás University, Manila, Jan. 18, 2015
In this issue we share some recent news stories: 1) Country Roads Magazine writes about the feeling of wildness inspired by the wilds of the Lower Mississippi; 2) Arkansas Times whimsically relates a day's adventure to the Montezuma archipelago with jumping carp and river pirates -- (be aware: some factual errors! ); 3) Vicksburg Post Business Spotlight praises Layne Logue's Quapaw Canoe Company Vicksburg Outpost; 4) Arkansas Advocate reports on last month's catastrophic rainfall over Lower Mississippi Valley, and its connection to climate change; 5) Mississippi Independent questions FEMA cuts amongst increasing extremes of flood & drought on the Lower Miss, as well as those to the USACE and the USFW; and 6) Catholic Online News quotes the late Pope Francis in an Earth Day 2025 series. Photos all come from my iPhone!
Country Roads Magazine
In Wildness: The power of meeting the Mississippi up close Country Roads Magazine BY SARAH CAROLINE CRALL, April 23, 2025
The wild Mississippi is not defined by a mark on a map, but in the desire it invokes for a wild life—characterized by openness and possibility. And it is from this perspective that we are then able to make decisions about our home from a place of earnest respect, awe, and concern. Building a connection to the rhythm of the river, logging hours on her waters, being fully present in the landscape, and sensing your smallness against the vast Mississippi—it lights a fire of appreciation, and thus, stewardship. Read more in Country Roads Magazine
Arkansas Times
Daytripping with ‘Driftwood Johnnie’: Cruising the longest river in North America with the Quapaw Canoe Company Arkansas Times by Phillip Powell, May 9, 2025 (be aware: some factual errors! Maybe in the Mark Twain tradition of the "stretcher" where reality is "stretched out?")
“The joy of discovery and seeing things with fresh eyes. The river is so immense, even while coming out every day for 30 years, I still can’t come to grips with it and understand. Nowhere have I felt so humbled and so in awe of the beauty and power of nature as I have here,” Ruskey said. Read more in Arkansas Times
Vicksburg Post
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Paddling the Mighty Mississippi Vicksburg Post By Ben Martin, May 14, 2025
“You’ve got two-to-three million birds that migrate up and down the river every year. And so you get to experience huge flocks of storks and Canada geese and snow geese and waterfowl. It’s just amazing all the wildlife that lives on it, and it is a pristine natural environment. You know, people kind of are surprised,” Logue said. “They think that, you know, there are 31 states that drain into the Mississippi River, and so people think it’s a polluted river, but everything that lives on the Mississippi River is healthy and thriving. And that’s why people have these premier hunting camps and turkey camps, because the wildlife is just perfect.” Layne Logue in the Vicksburg Post
Arkansas Advocate
Report: April storms that caused “generational” flooding made 40% more likely by climate change Arkansas Advocate By AINSLEY PLATT, May 9, 2025
The region saw “relentless” rounds of storms April 3-6, dumping more than a foot of rain on some areas, Winkley said. These persistent storms were part of what is called a mesoscale convective system — a massive storm that is larger than an individual thunderstorm, but smaller than an extratropical cyclone. The area where the high pressure and low pressure met — the “stalled front” — became the pathway that the rounds of storms travelled along, continually dumping rain on the same area for days because the front was stuck in place, he said. According to Climate Central, the average temperature in Arkansas last month was 5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer, compared to its 30-year average. Rainfall was nearly 250% higher than average for the month. Read more in the Arkansas Advocate
Mississippi Independent
How administration's rash funding cuts imperil the Mississippi River Listing as nation's most endangered river cites defunding of federal programs as threat to environment, infrastructure Mississippi Independent by CHRISTOPHER HARRESS, April 25, 2025
Among the threatened environmental programs are those aimed at conserving wetlands that serve as natural water filters and help capture some of polluted runoff. The loss or degradation of such wetlands could exacerbate floods, pollution and the destruction of viable habitat for fish, wildlife and plants, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “The Clean Water Act and the actions of state and federal agencies since the 1970s mean the Mississippi River is the cleanest it’s been in 100 years,” said Paul Hartfield, a retired endangered species biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service whose work focused on the lower river. “But the health of the river can’t be measured only by water quality. Any decrease in funding for the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies pretty much means we’re going to see a decrease in environmental protection and flood controls, which are important for the river’s economy and human life.”
Catholic Online News
Earth Day: 5 Powerful Quotes from Pope Francis on Caring for Creation Catholic Online News Abigail James, April 22, 2025
“We received this world as inheritance from past generations, but also as a loan from future generations, to whom we will have to return it!”
~ Pope Francis, Remarks in Quito, Ecuador, July 7, 2015
Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 977 "Voice of the Lower Mississippi River" ~ Quapaw Canoe Company ~ Celebrating 27 Years of Service ~ ~Custom Guiding & Outfitting on the Lower Mississippi River~ ~ Winner of the SBA 2024 Small Business of the Year Award ~
Wonderful to see stories are circulating about the beauty of the Mississippi - loved my time on the river with you all, and the ease with which you can return to just being fully present. There is a tribal people, the Pirahã people, who live in the Amazon, their hunting and gathering requires their complete observance of being present, anything else and they would not survive, so much so they have no words for the past or the future ~ story told by Bruce Parry www.bruceparry.com who I was fortunate to spend some time.
Love that David! The river is forever exercising that quality... being entirely in the moment. To do so otherwise makes life difficult, and dangerous!
Artist friend "MudPie" Diane Washa shared this with me, a Tao Te Ching proverb about being present:
Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?
The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
She is present, and can welcome all things."
...so much like the river, forever flowing, but always the same.
Always there, but always changing...