Adventure Day Dialogue

Event Summary

Come and join us for a fun filled day learning about various adventures you can consider for the year ahead of you – based on those behind some of our presenters. We will provide the popcorn, and you show up for any one of these or all - to learn more about Building an Adventure Van, learn about paddling adventure on the upper reaches of the Missouri River called Gates of the Mountains past and present, hear reflections as A Paddling Naturalist, learn how photography became the destination for a regional photographer,  and learn about the adventures involved with cleaning up rivers all over Iowa! Programs begin on the hour and run about 45 minutes, then are open to questions and answers before switching out for the next guest.  Our keynote will run for 2 of these sessions AND – we provide the popcorn!  FREE.  

Break up winter and treat cabin fever with a day of tales and accounts of outdoor adventures! Pick and choose sessions or bring a sack lunch and stay for the entire event.  We provide the popcorn at the breaks! Sessions for Adventure Day Dialogue include:   

 AJ Lindaman had the vision to create an adventure van from a basic panel van.  We'll follow some of the adventures that transformation brought to create the final product.     

Dave Hillman paddled the entire Missouri River in the summer of 2022 after retiring.  His favorite part of that epic journey deserved revisiting with his son and a small group of friends.  Chuck Ungs felt honored to have been part of that group - in the two-part program we will first visit some of the history behind this area.  Lewis and Clark had journal entries about it, part of their crew gave the campsite its name, and a now famous crew of smokejumpers perished on a mountainside nearby.  We will revisit some of the history for the first part and will cover some of the flora and fauna with the second part.  We believe this should be on your list of paddling or backpacking and camping locations. 

John Pearson is an avid kayaker whose past trips include several outings to Lake Superior, including the Apostle Islands, the North Shore, and a circumnavigation of Isle Royale National Park. More locally, he enjoys paddling on the Mississippi River in Iowa's Driftless Area and on Lake Red Rock. Professionally, he works as an Ecologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 

Karl Fliris picked up his first camera 8 years ago.  He began with backyard birds but soon expanded beyond that.  His cameras have expanded, and he uses several now.  His favorite subject is eagles, but a wide variety of birds are also captured.  Many of his shots come using his vehicle as a blind. 

Brian Soenen first started cleaning up Iowa’s lands with his 4-H Club and the Adopt-A-Highway program. His first water-based cleanup was Iowa Project AWARE – the river-focused program that he imagined, planned, and founded. Over the past twenty-four years, more than 6,700 volunteers have cleaned more than 1,500 miles of river in Iowa and removed 501 tons of trash. In Brian's opinion, simply cleaning up trash won't solve our state's water quality problems, but it is an important part of a much larger effort. His program will cover a brief history of Iowa Project AWARE, what exactly the event is, and how you can be a part of it. There is a need and a desire for river cleanups in Iowa, but it can't be done with just one person, one organization, or even one event. If it is to be, it's up to we!   

10-10:45 a.m. AJ Lindaman - Building an Adventure Van

11 - 11: 45 a.m. Dave Hillman and Chuck Ungs - The History of Gates of the Mountains

11:45 a.m. - Noon - Free popcorn and social break 

Noon -12:45 p.m.  Dave and Chuck continue - The Flora and Fauna of Gates of the Mountains 

1-1:45 p.m. Iowa DNR State Ecologist, John Pearson - A Paddling Naturalist

2 - 2:45 p.m. Karl Fliris - A Path that Brought Me to Photography, The Backyard Birds and More

3-3:45 p.m. Brian Soenen - Clean Rivers: If it is to be, it's up to WE! - Project A.W.A.R.E.

Category

Special Events