Friends of Pool 9 to present celebration in honor of 100th anniversary of Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge March 9

“The true angler is more a lover of nature than a fish getter.”
   ~ Will Dilg, “father” of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge

“You put together some sky and some cliff,
slash the bluffs with a glacial rift
Winds rise from that rocky shear
and witness the same peregrinations each year.
Going Driftless.
There’s magnetic force in this Paleozoic Plateau
Tugs at my spirit, it resonates in my soul.
Another ridge to climb - another valley to explore
A lifetime of looking – still I wanna find more.
I keep Going Driftless.”
    ~ Last verse of “Going Driftless,” lyrics by Jon Stravers Sr. and Jon Stravers Jr. The song appears on two Big Blue Sky recordings, “Bird Dance” and “River Dreams.”

by Julie Berg-Raymond

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, cities, towns and organizations along the river are planning events and celebrations to be held throughout 2024.

Friends of Pool 9 (FOP9) is kicking off its own series of celebratory events Saturday, March 9, when it presents “Will Dilg and Live Music - Celebrating the Refuge’s 100th Anniversary” at TJ Hunter’s Banquet Hall in Lansing. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. Available for purchase during the event are a cash bar, lunch and dinner.

From 2 to 4 p.m., Steven Marking will pay homage to Will Dilg, “father” of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, with scenes from “Our Mighty Mississippi.” From 7 p.m. to close, Jon “Hawk” Stravers and Big Blue Sky will perform. The event is sponsored by Friends of Pool 9, TJ Hunter’s Banquet Hall and Big River Magazine.

THE REFUGE
Described at uppermiss.com as “a haven for migratory birds, fish, wildlife and people since 1924,” the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge “stretches 261 river miles from Wabasha, Minn. to Rock Island, Ill., and protects more than 240,000 acres of Mississippi River floodplain. The refuge hosts more than 3.7 million annual visits for hunting, fishing, wildlife observations, and other recreation. The Refuge is a Wetland of International Importance and a Globally Important Bird Area.”

The Refuge was established in 1924 through the efforts of Will Dilg, founder of the Izaak Walton League of America - an environmental organization founded in 1922 that promotes natural resource protection and outdoor recreation. “The organization was founded in Chicago, Illinois, by a group of sportsmen who wished to protect fishing opportunities for future generations. They named the league after seminal fishing enthusiast Izaak Walton (1593–1683), known as the ‘Father of Flyfishing and author of The Compleat Angler” (Wikipedia). It was the largest-ever citizens movement to preserve public lands.

For more information about the 100th anniversary of the Refuge, visit uppermiss100.com.

FRIENDS OF POOL 9
Pool 9 (the term “pool” is used to describe the area between navigation dams on the Upper Mississippi) extends 31.3 miles from Lock and Dam 9 in Lynxville, WI to Lock and Dam 8 near Genoa, WI. The Iowa border is just above New Albin, about six miles downstream of Lock and Dam 8. Pool 9 has 35,169 acres of aquatic habitat (www.iowadnr.gov).

“Friends of Pool 9” (FOP9) is one of the largest and most active Friends groups on the Upper Mississippi River. Only three years after it formed in 2006, it was selected as the “2009 National Wildlife Refuge System Friends Group of the Year” - from more than 220 Friends groups across the United States.

In an interview for The Standard in 2022, John Verdon - a founding member of FOP9 - said the group grew from a handful of interested persons to an organization consisting today of over 800 members in 16 states and four countries. “We clean all 90 square miles of the pool, support citizen involvement in the life of the river, assist refuge projects such as tree plantings, donate to children’s programs about the river, as well as (sponsor) fishing programs for kids, collect data on our eagle population in Pool 9, offer scholarships for students entering a science/environment field, and do everything we can do to make Pool 9 one of the best on the Mississippi River,” Verdon said.

“Most important, is that people know this is THEIR organization” - the purpose of which, Verdon said, is two-fold: “To conserve the cultural and natural resources within Pool 9, and to foster the wise public use and enjoyment of the Refuge and the Upper Mississippi River.” For more information about Friends of Pool 9, visit friendsofpool9.org.

THE EVENT: “A VISIT FROM WILL DILG”
According to the website for Steven Marking - “a Mississippi river rat in upbringing, an opera singer by training, and a gardener for life,” as his Facebook page notes - “the traditional name for the speaker on our rivers is a ‘Riverlorian.’” A Riverlorian, the website continues, “is ‘One who studies rivers and shares all aspects of navigation, nature, history, legends and lore with anyone who will listen. This could expand into river-related topics that interest the Riverlorian and possibly even the audience.’”

Marking will perform “A Visit From Will Dilg and Scenes From Our Mighty Mississippi” from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at TJ Hunter’s Banquet Hall. Part of Friends of Pool 9’s kick-off celebration of a year-long series of events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Marking’s performance promises “a magical journey of song, storytelling and visual imagery.” For more information about Steven Marking, visit stevenmarking.com.

THE EVENT: BIG BLUE SKY PERFORMS
According to information offered at the band’s website, Big Blue Sky was started as a father-son duo in the mid-1990s by Jon Stravers, Sr. and Jon-Jon Stravers. “In their music, they seek and celebrate a closer connection to the planet,” the website continues. “Their musical writing came from the inspiration of wild places and a celebration of our natural heritage. This musical effort expanded over the years after the passing of Jon-Jon in 2007 to include 40 different musicians from 10 different states who have recorded with or appeared as part of Big Blue Sky.”

“In recent years, Big Blue Sky has been strongly influenced by Sophia Lands on flute and vocals and by the guitar work of Folko Landvoght,” Stravers Sr. says today. “During the summer months for the last 12 years Big Blue Sky has appeared every Friday night on Robert Vavra’s Maiden Voyage Cruise boat on the Mississippi River out of Marquette.”

Jon Stravers Sr. lives in Prairie du Chien, WI and for the past 40 years has worked on the Mississippi River as a river conservationist, bird researcher, educator and songwriter.

Performing with Big Blue Sky at the Friends of Pool 9 event will be Folko Landvogt, guitar; Jon “Hawk” Stravers, guitar and vocals; Sophia Landis, flute, vocals and percussion; and Joe Shelley, bass. “We feel fortunate to be involved with this particular event that celebrates the 100th anniversary of the magnificent Upper Miss Refuge that we all know and love - and to be involved with the Friends of Pool 9, helping them celebrate their involvement with the river,” Stravers says. “We hope people will celebrate with us and give a listen to Big Blue Sky; it’s going to be fun!” Big Blue Sky will perform from 7 p.m. to close.

For more information about Jon “Hawk” Stravers and Big Blue Sky Band, visit bigbluesky-dabc.com.