Weekly Newsletter: October 12, 2016
Welcome to OAR Northwest’s Adventure: Mississippi River!
This weekly newsletter will include regular updates as our crew rows the entire
Mississippi River corridor.
Learning from the Unexpected
The AMR crew is on their sixtieth day of
the expedition.They have traveled over one
thousand miles powered solely by sheer
determination and the strength of their
bodies.
Most adventures are guaranteed an
unexpected challenge of some sort:
discovering a flat tire the day of a bike ride,
realizing you forgot your bathing suit after
driving all the way to the beach, finding out
your tent leaks mid-way through the rain
storm. When you decide to row down the
Mississippi River those unexpected
challenges can be a lot more serious. Yet in
all cases, big or small, the way you handle
the situation makes all the difference.
This week, the Mississippi River reached unanticipated flood levels due to increased rainfall.
Though the Mississippi is known to flood, it is uncommon this time of the year. The AMR team
has also faced medical scenarios that demanded their full attention. Both of these challenges were
unexpected but the team has faced them head on,allowing the adventure to continue. Read on!
Learning from the unexpected: ​flooding
The Mississippi River often floods in the
spring as the snow in the mountains melts
and the water flows down into the river.
Yet, this fall there has been unprecedented
rain and the river has grown larger than
what the AMR crew had ever expected.
The river itself has gotten wider and faster
as more water is making its way out to the
ocean. As the river has spread beyond its
normal banks, the crew has noticed huge
trees several buoys floating down the
river, pulled free by the water.
This increases the diligence required by
the rowers.. The main concern is keeping
the boats from running into debris. For
example, when the crew was performing
science experiments south of the Quad
Cities, their large net, used to capture microplastics, got caught on one of the channel marker
buoys. The water was moving so quickly that if they did not get free from the buoy the boat could
have been pulled over. Rower Audra said “we thought we would have to cut the net off the
boat.” Luckily the crew was able to jiggle the net free in time to avoid trouble... “That was the
most precarious thing we got ourselves into,” Audra reassures.
Audra also notes that the people along the river think that they are “insane”; they are concerned
that the water is just too big for the little boats. The rowers always make sure to listen to the local
knowledge along the river. The residents know the
Mississippi more intimately than the crew ever could,
but the team is confident in the boats they chose to
take on the water. Audra observes that the concern is
meant for the best, and “that the stories they tell are of
people taking fast speedboats or little kayaks, we are
not using either of those things. Most people do not
have experience with rowboats, and are not used to
them.” Unlike jet boats, which move fast, and do a lot
of damage when they hit things, the rowboats go slow
and steady. And unlike canoes or kayaks that can get
swept along by the current, the rowboats have greater
power and steering capabilities.
The rowboats that are used on the AMR expedition
are designed to be rowed in large waves off of ocean
coasts and weigh 250 pounds. They have a steel
bottom and are not tippy even in rough conditions.
The boats only travel at about six miles an hour so the
crew is able to spot obstacles well in advance. Even when the crew does bump up against
something they just bounce right off.
The team is being extra cautious because of the flooding, especially because it was an unexpected
challenge. But, because of their positive attitude about the changes in the river they are able to
note the good aspects of the increase in water levels: flooding means more current, making the
boats go faster! The rowers noted that it was supposed to take them five days to go from
Dubuque to Quad Cities, and they were able to do it in three!
The flooding has prepared the team for the rest of the river. They will soon be in St. Louis where
the Ohio River meets the Mississippi. This will mean that the river will continue to get bigger all
the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Essentially, they are getting some extra preparation!
Learning from the unexpected: ​First Aid
Meanwhile, the team has also had to respond to
urgent medical situations. Both Sam and Eric have
required care for infections. Eric got a mild scrape
on his elbow when climbing into a boat and Sam
stepped on a thorn. Neither rowers thought much
of the injury when it happened, but some water got
into the cuts, resulting in infections.
Eric’s elbow swelled up significantly and he was
in a great deal of pain. As it became clear that Eric
could not row comfortably and the signs of
infection became more serious, the team stopped
in order for him to receive proper treatment.
Similarly, Sam’s foot became increasingly
uncomfortable and he could not continue to take
care of it himself. He also went to the doctor and is
feeling much better. Luckily there are many small
towns along the Mississippi so medical help is
never far away.
Neither of these incidents were immediately life
threatening but both were incredibly painful.
While they were happening it was easy for the
team to get alarmed and want to react in panic
about the situation. Luckily Calli, Sam, Eric and
Jordan all have wilderness medical training and were able to work together to figure out the best
solution. It also taught them a valuable lesson about dealing with problems on the fly: You cannot
control a situation, only your reaction to it.
Our Thanks
We would like to take a moment to thank the Seattle Yacht Club Foundation for its ongoing
support of OAR Northwest’s adventure education programs. The SYC Foundation has supported
every OAR Northwest expedition since the inaugural expedition in 2006, Over the last three
years, the SYC Foundation has provided grants for Adventure: Mississippi River 2014,
Adventure: Columbia River 2015, and now Adventure: Mississippi River 2016, allowing OAR
Northwest to develop repeatable education programs that bring adventure into the classroom.
The SYC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable
organization. The Foundation's purpose is to
promote interest and participation in boating
activities and programs, with particular
emphasis on young people. Financial support
is provided to a broad range of educational,
training, and competitive endeavors. You can
learn more at ​www.sycfoundation.org​.
How You Can Help
If you are interested in supporting OAR
Northwest’s expeditions and adventure
education programs, please consider making a
tax-deductible donation. OAR Northwest is a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in
Seattle, Washington. You may find out more
about our organization at
www.oarnorthwest.org​.
Adventure: Mississippi River​ thus far
Number of students interacted with: 2,045
Number of river miles traveled: 1034
Number of days on the river: 60
Percentage of the river competed: 53.1%
Number of water samples taken: 10
Need more Adventure: Mississippi River?
Check out this great article published by the
Quad-City Times last week!
http://qctimes.com/lifestyles/recreation/fifth-graders-hear-how-to-row-down-the-mississippi/artic
le_cf252281-654b-541b-b266-dd5c86549b70.html