Join MCE for a conversation on our rivers with Tony Messenger of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and our retiring Big Rivers Director, Brad Walker. Tony will facilitate a conversation with Brad, who will reflect on how we allowed our rivers to be abused and suggest ways forward to restore and repair the damage.
When: Wednesday, January 31, 2018, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust St., St. Louis, MO 63103.
Tickets: $50 for adults, $35 seniors and students. Tickets include appetizers from Schlafly. Purchase tickets HERE.
The Missouri & Mississippi Rivers and other area waterways have been exploited over decades by the federal government and corporations without serious consideration for the health of these invaluable natural resources.
Read more about the event and the honorees below.
“The current Missouri River System management philosophy is outdated and completely ignores available scientific information that documents the immense public benefits of healthy, functioning floodplains,” said Brad Walker, MCE’s Big Rivers Director and one of the honorees who is nearing retirement. “My personal conclusion is that we cannot solve our environmental problems without regaining control of corporations,” Mr. Walker added.
The Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) will honor the heroes & heroines of Missouri’s big rivers:
Brad Walker, (retiring) MCE Big Rivers Director. Brad started his career as a civil engineer then turned his attention to advocate for the restoration of our Big Rivers in the Midwest. His prolific writing on this issue caught the attention of the The Daily Show as Brad was featured in a segment focused on the management of the Mississippi River in 2016. Brad will leave the St. Louis area to be closer to his children and grandchildren.
R. Roger Pryor Citizen Activist Award: Christine Favilla, Co-Coordinator, Illinois Sierra Club, Three Rivers Project. Since 2001, Favilla has served the Sierra Club’s Three Rivers Project in Southern, IL. MCE will recognize Favilla’s critical role creating the Mississippi River symposium for high school students and as a key editor for the Nicollet Island Coalition’s Big Price, Little Benefit report and MCE’s Our Future report.
Kay and Leo Drey Environmental Stewardship Award: Steve Schnarr, Program Manager, Missouri River Relief. Since 2006, Schnarr has brought thousands of people to the Missouri River to learn, clean up, and play. MCE will recognize Schnarr for advancing civic engagement and education for the Missouri River as an integral organizer for the Big Muddy Speaker Series. “We are lucky to have this resource run right through the middle of our state. I want the river to be the center of our culture, too”, declared Schnarr.
Environmental Echo 