Clean Water Matters, a scientist and angler’s perspective

How one of the Iowa’s leading researchers uses his voice to amplify why clean water matters!

Chris Jones— Scientist, Author and Angler

Learn more from Author, Scientist, and Angler Chris Jones about how he’s been able to share his knowledge and expertise with others concerning the truth and the significance of Iowa’s water pollution problems.  Jones has spent decades of his professional career working with private and public sectors of agriculture, environment and water.  As a former  University of Iowa water quality research engineer, Chris remains at the forefront of data illustrating the damaging intersection of intensive corn, soybean and CAFO systems with Iowa’s landscape throughout the Mississippi Watershed.

Jone’s book The Swine Republic **has been chosen by the Library of Congress’ Center of the Book to be one of 56 books included in the “Great Reads from Great Places” list for the 2024 National Book Festival.  From his recent blog, we also learned that over Chris’s lifetime, he has cleaned at least 5000 caught fish and probably eaten about half of those, so, in the interest of ‘writing what you know’, he shares his Iowa’s best quality fish species.

Chris Jones Links:

https://riverraccoon.substack.com/

https://icecubepress.com/2023/04/10/the-swine-republic-2/

We continue to focus and highlight the legacy of the Izaak Walton League as one of America’s first conservation organizations leading significant conservation policy— one hundred years ago the League was the driving force behind the creation of the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, which protects wildlife habitat along 261 miles of the river in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.

“The League’s founder, Will Dilg Comes to Life”

How growing up on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge creates a life-time passion to advocate for it through story telling.

Steven Marking— Riverlorian, Actor and Film Maker

Learn more from Riverlorian, Steven Marking about the significance the League played in the creation of our Upper Mississippi Refuge, which protects wildlife habitat along 261 miles of the river in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.  Steven will share why and how he has created an inspiring, one-man multi-media show entitled A Visit From Will Dilg.  His story shares the history of how Dilg created a movement by forming the Izaak Walton League and why it matters today!  In fact, celebration planning of the Refuge has sparked interest in creating a multi-state virtual Izaak Walton League Upper Mississippi River Chapter.

Steven Marking grew up on the Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge, on Pool #7 (also known as, Lake on Alaska).  His father was Leif Marking, fishery research scientist for the National Fish and Wildlife Service in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  Steven created a multi-media show called Our Mighty Mississippi to share the glory of the Mississippi River with anyone who would attend a show.  One chapter of his show is about the creation and maintenance of the refuge, which led to his joining the Izaak Walton League while seeking more information about the Will Dilg Story. 

In his one man show, Marking has created a script that relies heavily on Dilg’s own published words.  He plays the role of Dilg along side of projected images and video that support the story of Will Dilg, the founding of the Izaak Walton League, and the battle against the reclamation menace that was stealing the Mississippi River’s precious backwater habitat from the Lower Mississippi on up. Ground zero for the battle was the Winneshiek Bottoms near Lansing, Iowa, which was already legally permitted to be drained, filled, and levied off to create farmlands.

Steven Marking holds a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland, and a Bachelors Degree from Viterbo University in his hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin.  He brings more than three decades of professional production and performance experience to his latest creation, A Visit From Will Dilg, and his ongoing masterpiece, Our Mighty Mississippi. 

Steven is a Riverlorian, defined as follows: 

“One who studies rivers and shares all aspects of navigation, nature, history, legends & lore with anyone who will listen. This could expand into river related topics that interest the Riverlorian and possibly even the audience.”

Steven is a Guest Speaker and Resident Entertainer for American Cruise Lines as they travel the Mississippi, Ohio, and Cumberland Rivers. 

Marking will be a featured speaker this July at the League’s 2024 National Convention.

More info on Steve can be found at stevenmarking.com.