by Janet Butler, photos by Ken Lammers

Steamboats and crowds gather at the Ohio River

Every four years dozens of steamboats gather on the waterfront in Cincinnati, Ohio to celebrate the city’s huge Tall Stacks Festival. The steamboat era’s music, art and heritage are Tall Stack’s original focus; however, organizers in recent years expanded the Festival’s educational scope to include natural aspects of the Ohio River. The ORVE joined the education effort this year, realizing that an event attracting over 700,000 visitors could offer some needed opportunities to add "drops in the bucket" on watershed awareness.

Patricia Morrison quizzes a young student about an Ohio River critter track

The ORVE shared a tent with the Ohio River Foundation in the festival’s "Ohio, Naturally" education area. Nearly 10,000 students, teachers, and casual visitors stopped at our tent over the five-day festival, held October 14-19. An Ohio River watershed exhibit paired with an interactive watershed resources and issues game helped ORVE staffers connect with visitors. Because of the importance of the centennial anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System, commemorative posters and other items were given away as game prizes.

The Ohio River Foundation's Rich Cogen talks visitors into making paddlefish hats

Although Ohio River Islands NWR took the lead in organizing and developing the ORVE’s participation in Tall Stacks, strong cross-regional cooperation got it off the ground. Thanks go to Kurt Snider (R-4) for assistance with the Ohio River Watershed exhibit. Exhibit staffing included Lee Herzberger, Ken Lammers, Donna Stanley, and refuge volunteers (R-3); Mindi Brady and Leroy Koch (R-4); and Janet Butler and Patty Morrison (R-5). Additionally, the Ohio River Foundation funded a native mussel rubber "tattoo" stamp for the event.