Mississippi River Adventure Day event a huge success

While the sun gave the sand dune walkers scorching heat during the GPS treasure hunts, it also raised the water temperature of the Mississippi River to a comfortable and cooling 78 degrees, and that made it even more inviting to the swimmers. Friends of Pool 9 organizers and volunteers staged their annual river adventure day for kids on the beach area north of Lansing Tuesday, July 14. The gathering included 180 kids, parents, presenters, and FOP9 volunteers.
Children were separated into age groups and identified as Tadpoles, Crawdads, Muskrats, Foxes, Otters and Eagles. The younger four groups (5-8 year-olds) rotated through five activity stations (many designed to get the kids in the water), while the older kids (9-13) went on a two-hour backwater canoe trip and an electronic (GPS) treasure search on the dune.
Agency professionals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service McGregor District and the USF&WS La Crosse District, the Genoa National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Black Hawk Park, Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources, and Allamakee County Conservation Board were presenters for the day.
Lansing and Ferryville Emergency Safety Boats were present and assisted with the day-long event. Most of the kids, parents and assigned FOP9 chaperones were transported aboard the large Mississippi Explorer Cruise boat, while others traveled on smaller boats.
The day began at the Lansing ball diamond at 8 a.m. with check-in and getting fitted with the proper sized life jackets. Each child without an accompanying adult was assigned an FOP9 adult volunteer to be their “parent for the day.” Small people boarded first, followed by each successive age group.
Several popular spots included getting in the Mississippi River; the fish seining and mussel pollywooging sites and the “free swim” area. The older kids enjoyed the challenge of the GPS treasure hunt and the backwater canoe trip.  
Jon (Hawk) Stravers led some singing as well as bird identification on the backwater birding trip, and Mike Griffin and Shawna Stringham inspired viewers with the fur bearer pelts and their enthusiasm.
The entire cost of the event, including transportation and noon meal, was paid by Friends of Pool 9. Jeff Klum, parent from Stoddard, WI commented, “Textbooks and computers can do a lot…but nothing like today’s hands-on event… it was just wonderful and I can’t imagine all the time and planning that went on to make it work.”
As children left the dock area they were given an appreciation gift from Friends of Pool 9 in memory of the trip. Each child received a water bottle inscribed with the Friends of Pool 9 river otter logo. Tara McGovern Dutcher from Iowa City, in attendance for the day with her two children stated on Facebook, “There are a lot of happy, exhausted kids dreaming about the Mississippi right now. What a gift. We are so grateful.”
Friends of Pool 9 appreciates the Lansing VFW Post for allowing the use of their building, all the presenters for their commitment to the children, the parents who brought their children and having confidence in the safety provided by FOP9, and to the fifty Friends of Pool 9 volunteers who made the day possible.  It indeed, “takes a Village to educate a child.”  It was never more evident then what was displayed on the Mississippi River at Lansing today.
The entire photo gallery of pictures from the 2015 Eighth Annual MRAD event will be posted on the Friends of Pool 9 website, friendsofpool9.org.