The Friends of the Fairport Fish Hatchery (FFFH) have been selected for a Love Our Byways micro-grant project.  The award is one of only 25 projects from across the country. Funding is given by the National Scenic Byway Foundation and American Park Network along with Official Automotive Partner, Toyota Motor North America, to support local byway beautification and conservation projects which amplify by grassroots volunteerism. FFFH will host a workday on Friday, September 17 from 9am-4pm at the Fairport Fish Hatchery doing brush cleanup as a part of its Interpretive Trail project. This project... Read More

One month after Quad-Cities environmentalist Chad Pregracke announced his ambitious Bison Bridge plans, the creative concept has earned over 27,000 supporters online, an endorsement from The Chicago Tribune editorial board, and a strong social-media shoutout from TV’s Mike Rowe. “This is VERY cool. My old friend Chad Pregracke – whom many of you will remember as the self-appointed garbageman of America’s rivers – is on a mission to create a brand new National Park on the Mississippi River,” Rowe (well-known for cable’s “Dirty Jobs”) posted on Facebook late last month... Read More

Living Lands and Waters’ Chad Pregracke talked at length with us about the new Bison Bridge project — a National Park slated for the old I-80 bridge, which is set to be replaced over the next six years. Pregracke told us about his ideas which led to the bridge, how the project got kicked off, and what comes next over the next 5-7 years of the project in the latest episode of our podcast QCUncut! Check out the link below and listen to the entire conversation to get the scoop! QC Uncut: Chad Pregracke (Episode #103)  Read More

The Bison Bridge Foundation debuted a new video today of the proposed site for the future National Park! The video displayed a panoramic view of the current bridge and the future spot for the National Park, as previously reported on QuadCities.com, which would include a bison crossing, breathtaking views and other amenities. The video can be seen here. The foundation also posted the following on its social media: What will be the location of the new I-80 Bridge? The Iowa and Illinois DOT is in the first phase of replacing the current I-80 Bridge, which includes an environmental study. They... Read More

The morning after he gave a visionary talk on repurposing the I-80 bridge across the Mississippi River, Chad Pregracke was back at the Rust Belt Friday to push the process of gathering public support for the planned Bison Bridge. Jake Ford, director of government affairs with the Quad Cities Chamber, led a morning legislative forum on the project with Pregracke, president/founder of Living Lands & Waters; Matthew Hughes, consultant with MRH Solutions, Kevin Marchek, retired engineer from the Illinois Department of Transportation, and Illinois state Sen. Neil Anderson. Before the meeting, Quad... Read More

Since national hero Chad Pregracke founded East Moline-based Living Lands & Waters in 1998, the nonprofit has worked on removing trash from 24 rivers in 21 states. With the help of more than 115,000 volunteers, it’s removed 10.5 million pounds of debris from U.S. waterways. On Thursday, March 18, Pregracke will announce formation of a major new effort in the Quad-Cities, Bison Bridge Foundation, and the 90-minute event will be livestreamed from The Rust Belt in East Moline. Starting at 6:30 p.m. March 18, tune in live at https://bisonbridge.org/live-stream, where he and his team will discuss... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – The sting of a single bee has elevated the graduate school project of a Western Illinois University alumnus into a home for an endangered species. Ross Smith received his master’s degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration (RPTA) in 2018. For his final project, Smith transformed two underutilized baseball diamonds in Hampton, IL, into a prairie area for the Rock Island County Forest Preserve District, where he has been employed since 2015. “The baseball diamonds were underutilized, compared to neighboring diamonds and with the Dorrance Forest Preserve... Read More

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day by helping to spruce up the Nahant Marsh during the annual cleanup. Spring Cleanup at Nahant Marsh (4220 Wapello Avenue Davenport) will take place this Saturday Jun 13 from 8:30 -11:30 a.m. Projects will be both light and heavy duty. Gloves and bags will be provided. Volunteers will receive a t-shirt. For more information, please visit https://xstreamcleanup.org/event/nahant-marsh-2020-spring-cleanup-6132020.  Read More