Patrick McGinnis, certified wildlife biologist and systems ecologist, Senior Advisor for Water Resources Policy and Practice, The Horinko Group, USACE retired, will elucidate the little known story and visionary process of reclaiming Riverlands, 3700 acres of public lands now a globally significant Important Bird Area.
The Riverlands Story opens a joint Nature + Art exhibit “Running Water: Riverwork Project and Watershed Cairns,” on view at National Great Rivers Museum, Audubon Center at Riverlands, and at Jacoby Arts Center where the talk will be presented.
Within The Riverlands Story, McGinnis will reveal what he sees as major challenges and opportunities going forward to insure our future water security and opportunities he sees for the Riverbend region to optimize its position as a national water resource research and technology hub and recreational gateway to the Mississippi River.
Thirty years ago in the mid 1980s, McGinnis began a strategic effort with the Corps of Engineers to establish a Natural Resource presence on the Mississippi River, in part to position the Corps’ St. Louis District to better serve their operational interests on 110,000 acres of operational lands and waters along 300 miles of the Mississippi River and the lower 80 miles of the Illinois River. This became an opportunity to smartly leverage federal resources to drive positive and lasting impacts at the community and system level.
Under McGinnis’ leadership The Riverlands Area Office, established in 1989, became widely recognized as a water resource stewardship leader and innovator. Early accomplishments included the design and completion of the Riverlands Environmental Demonstration Area later renamed the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, the formulation and successful implementation of Riverlands 2000, restoration of native plant communities to a portion of the American Bottoms, and making the case for authorization and completion of the National Great Rivers Museum.
Today Riverlands is home to an emerging interdisciplinary water resource campus and living laboratory that includes the Rivers Project Office, the Riverland Migratory Bird Sanctuary, the Audubon Center at Riverlands, the Mel Price Locks and Dam, the National Great Rivers Museum, and the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC). The Campus and NGRREC will soon welcome its newest addition, the Swarovski Water School.
The Riverlands Story presents McGinnis’ experience making the case for the Riverlands Project, how he and his team built consensus and were effective in pursuing big ideas, and how the water based attractions they developed are helping reshape attitudes about rivers in our region and the opportunity to reconnect communities to rivers and their natural capital in sustainable ways.
The Riverlands Story begins at 7pm on October 7th at the Jacoby Arts Center. The event is free; all are welcome to attend. Doors open at 5pm to view the exhibit Running Water: Riverwork Project and Watershed Cairns.
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