How to Define a River by Casey Willson 2020 Cohort

According to Wikipedia.com, the Great Miami River is “a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 160 miles (260 km) long, in southwestern Ohio and Indiana in the United States. The Great Miami flows through Dayton, Piqua, Troy, Hamilton, and Sidney”. This definition is rather neat and tidy, not words normally associated with a river. More importantly though, this definition lacks a certain amount of emotion that patrons of the river have come to associate with it. So I’ve decided to create my own definition. One that truly only suits me and my experiences with the Great Miami River and one that I won’t share. I won’t share it because it won’t be useful to you. It’s based in experience and a bit difficult to put into words.

I spend a lot of time thinking about words, what they mean and why they mean it. I’m majoring in French and learning Spanish so words and their meanings take up a lot of space in my head. However, in truth I don’t think that words are the most important part of a language but rather the meaning behind the words are what’s important and rather telling of the culture which they are paired with. In fact, words themselves are only truly useful when attempting to communicate a thought or feeling to another person. They’re incredibly useful for that don’t get me wrong, but that’s not what we’re doing here. What we’re doing is creating a definition that’s just for you. You won’t need to be able to share it with anyone because it won’t apply to them and their experiences. It’s something for you to develop and enjoy for yourself, free of judgement from others.

So where do we find this definition? We go to the river. We sit there on the banks or we go out on a kayak and we close our eyes and we listen and we feel and from that experience we have found our definition. Its personal and its wonderful and it’s not something that can be expressed. Nor can it be replicated. Our definitions are abundant and malleable and in that is their truth. Because rivers are living things that grow and shrink and are constantly changing so why should our definitions of them remain the same?

Now you have all the tools you need so go on and find your definition and enjoy it because it will bring you greater understanding of the river and the world around it. Hold on to it while it lasts but don’t be afraid of the change, it’s inevitable and it’s good and we’re lucky to have it.

The Importance of Place in Public Space Design

The Importance of Place in Public Space Design

Rachel Carr, 2020 Cohort

 

Don’t get me wrong, the new main branch of the Dayton Metro Library is wonderful. It’s bright, innovative, and inviting. Mostly, it’s well suited for Dayton. This last aspect is something that I hadn’t felt until I visited another city’s new central library in Austin, Texas. It’s easy to see the beauty of the Austin Public Library, and want all of its features for the Dayton Public Library without much thought about the important differences between the cities.

The Austin Public Library Central Branch is more than bright. It’s a 6 story vibrant sanctuary, with a “technology petting zoo,” listening stations, and three outdoor decks. After my visit, I walked out wondering why Dayton Metro Library main branch didn’t also have a rooftop deck. The envy faded in a few days, and it became clear why these libraries are different and why they should be.

Often the solutions for creating long lasting, sustainable solutions to design are viewed as interchangeable, regardless of location and time. For example when cities look to implement more sustainable transportation solutions, they may find protected bike lanes are an effective, low cost solution. However, does that solution work in Cleveland? Similarly, I naively wished for outdoor decks and a solar paneled green roof. I am writing this back in Dayton, on a not so atypical morning that greeted me with brisk 27 degree winds; the fireplace on the second floor of Dayton’s library now feels like a much better way to bring people together than an outdoor deck.

Another aspect that I envied now standout in a similar way, like the diversity of media available. In the Austin Public Library there are “listening stations;” like a museum interactive panel, you can selected a radio station, podcast, or other selected form of audio from the menu, put on the attached headphones, and settle into the armchair. If you walk into the Dayton Public Library today, you’re not going to find this feature. But is that such a bad thing? This is not a piece of the infrastructure, it can be added, removed, and is a part the experimental design of Austin’s Library that could easily, in future years, be added to Dayton’s Library. Dayton in the future may have a “technology petting zoo,” too.
 

 

There is one feature that Dayton’s library is objectively missing: a connection to the river. Just as it’s vital that design acknowledges the constraints of place in terms of climate and geography, design should connect people to the environment and history of a place. Rivers tend to do both. An exhibit on the ground floor highlights the life and history of Shoal Creek, which runs through Austin’s downtown, and there are vistas on the upper floors that look out over the Colorado River, where the Shoal Creek meets it. Although the Dayton Public Library is nearly as close to its river, the Great Miami River, it does little to acknowledge its existence or highlight its history. As a place of learning, I believe Dayton Metro Library missed an opportunity to included the River in the design, in terms of physical orientation away from the river and lack of educational material on view about it.

 

The myriad features present in the Austin Public Library are stunning and appropriate for a central branch of a metro library system that serves the 2 million person metro area of Austin, the capital of Texas. However, we should hope that the central library of an 800,000 person metro area is very different. The role of each library is as different as it’s relationship to the space it is in, in terms of community and environment. As a Daytonian, it would be hard for me to be more proud of the beautiful main branch of the Dayton Metro Library. As an admirer of great public design, I am captivated by the Central Austin Public Library. But as a River Steward, I am left wondering why the connection to the river is lacking in the Dayton’s library and what can be done to change that. Austin’s overt efforts to connect to the river through the library creates a sense of shared identity and responsibility between those on the water, in the library, and across all public spaces.

 

 

 

Living Lands and Waters Barge Overnight and River Cleanup

Kevin O'Donnell, 2019 Cohort

I first met Chad Pregracke when he came to the University of Dayton to give a speech about founding Living Lands and Waters. Some fellow stews and I were lucky enough to show him around the RiverMobile and talk with him for a bit before we attended his speech. I remember how great the speech was, and it was so enjoyable to be around Chad. When I heard that Living Lands and Waters had offered for ten River Stewards to come stay overnight on their barge. I knew that I could not pass this opportunity up. I knew that we were going to be volunteering with them at a river cleanup in the morning, but other than that I had very little idea of what we were going to be doing. Nonetheless, I was still very excited.

Morning on the Ohio River in Rabbit Hash, KY

We ate dinner as a group before heading out to drive to Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, where we would be boarding the barge. Out of curiosity, I googled Rabbit Hash and noticed that the town had a population of just over 300 people! While we were eating dinner, we heard from Katelyn that we had been invited to a barn dance in Rabbit Hash. I knew this was going to be a night to remember. We drove down windy roads in the pitch-black darkness to the tiny town of Rabbit Hash, KY. We got a glimpse of the barn dance that we would be attending later before we all gathered together to get a quick tour of the barge and where we would be sleeping.

Before we knew it, we were boarding a metal johnny boat with all our sleeping bags, pillows and backpacks. After driving around to the other side of the barge, we hopped off to see where we would be sleeping. I had no idea what to expect regarding our sleeping situation. I would have been completely fine with just sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag. Instead we walked into large room that was filled with air mattresses that had sleeping bags on top of them! Living Lands and Waters were incredibly welcoming in accommodating for us to sleep in what was normally used as a classroom, and I hope that they know how thankful we all were for that.

Group with Chad after our barge safety talk. 

After getting our sleeping areas set up, we boarded back onto the boat to head to the barn dance. The barn dance was a really unique experience and Rabbit Hash, in general, was one of the most unique locations I have ever been to. The live music was great and it seemed like the whole town was there having a great time. After the live music was over we gathered together again to head back onto the barge. When we were back on the barge we went up to the rooftop and had some nice late night conversation as we gazed up at the stars until we eventually decided that we should get some sleep for the river clean up early the next morning.

When we got up the next morning the crew of Living Lands and Waters had already made us breakfast and coffee. Again, they were incredibly welcoming! After we ate breakfast we finally got to work. The plan was to drive some of the boats upriver a bit and to pick up trash there and put it into piles on the shore. The trash would then be picked up by the boats and brought back to the barge. Since the river was very foggy early in the morning and driving the boat would have been a little dangerous, we instead began moving and organizing some of the trash that was already on the barge. It was great to see everyone working together to be more efficient. There were lots of assembly lines and people helping each other to carry some of the heavier pieces of trash. There was a crazy amount of trash on the barge and it was both concerning and uplifting knowing that all this trash had come out of our rivers.

Clean up crew on the trash barge. 

Once the fog cleared up we got on the boats to clean up trash from the river. The river bank was super muddy, but that didn’t stop any of us from getting dirty to clean the river. We were only picking up trash for about an hour, but we picked up a literal boat load of trash. The power of numbers is astounding! It would probably have taken a few days for just one person to clean up all that trash alone.

While we were cleaning the barge, I was alone helping Chad drive some trash to a different part of the barge and I got the chance to tell him how inspirational I found his story. He saw a problem and he didn’t sit around waiting for an opportunity to fall in his lap, where he would be able to make a difference. Chad created his own opportunity by just getting down to work and cleaning the river himself. He responded in his nonchalant aura with, “things are only as complicated as you make them.” I know that this will be a quote that is going to stick with me for a long time, and that I will never forget how genuine of an experience this was. I am so glad that the Rivers Institute and Living Lands and Waters have been able to develop this relationship that we have and I hope to see it further develop in the future!

Learn more about Living Lands and Waters and why Chad Pregracke won CNN Hero of the Year in 2013 in this amazing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n_7Pal_iQs

I Spy a Brighter Future



A glimpse of the fun at Adventure Central

I spy something with my little eye and it looks a lot like kids learning their multiplication tables. I spy boys and girls eagerly raising their hands to be picked to clean the dinner tables. I spy them helping each other stack chairs at the end of the night. And most of all, I spy an infinite amount of laughter. I spy Adventure Central. This after school program is unlike anything I’ve known before. Kids come here to not only learn about rivers, creeks, plants, and the environment, but are also aided with their homework. Adventure Central allows them to begin to see their worth. Being a kid is tough, and it’s not acknowledged enough how great of an impact the environment has on the adult a child eventually grows into. Adventure Central is an environment that sees the fiery passions that children develop so easily and embraces them for it, helping to spread the love to everyone.  

My first night at Adventure Central I watched a very discouraged little girl, who had fallen behind in school, catch up on homework. After she put her things away, she sat with a little smile on her face clearly proud of the work she had accomplished. Without Adventure Central, who would have helped her catch up? When would she have found the time? It’s hard to say. However, she grew just a little bit that night and more importantly, she began to believe in herself. Maybe it was the first time or maybe the first time in a long time. Either way, it was a step in the right direction. It is a direction that will show her that she can do anything she sets her mind to and that by continuing to try, she can go further than she ever thought possible.

Whenever I leave Adventure Central, I am eager to return. I want to see what these kids can discover about themselves and their untapped potential. I want to see them grow, and, with the help of people that care, every one of them will grow. It’s easy to become discouraged by the direction our planet and quality of life are heading, but these kids give me hope. They will not be the same generation as the one preceding. They will not ignore the problems ultimately hurting us, and they will not let hate defeat them. When I look at these kids, and the opportunities Adventure Central is giving them, I can’t help but to spy a brighter future.

 

 

The RiverMobile Visits Sidney!

After a couple months of planning this event, we were finally able to see it come into fruition. Our RiverMobile has never been this far north before and this was an excellent opportunity to visit our river neighbors in Sidney. Sidney is extremely rural and most of the families have their own farmland. Agriculture is a huge part of life. It was really fun connecting with them and learning from each other.

The RiverMobile was showcased at two different events, the school tours for 4th graders and the Family Farm tours.

For a couple of weeks, I’ve been up to Sidney prepping for our Fairlawn tours. With the help of Leslie and Katelyn, Fairlawn FFA student leaders and moderators, Lynda Adams (Shelby Soil & Water Conservation District Education Coordinator), and of course some pretty awesome River Stewards, we were able to pull off a wonderful event.

Friday 16^th
Fairlawn Local hosted 4^th grade classes from Fairlawn, Holy Angels, and Jackson Center for their Harvest Days RiverMobile and Dairy Farm tours. They were split into two groups for the RiverMobile and Dairy Farm and then switched after lunch. Not only did the kids get to explore and learn from the RiverMobile, but they also had a lot of fun with the activities. Fairlawn FFA used our edible aquifer activity and they also had other crafts and edibles to incorporate their Harvest Day themes. The kids had a great day full of fun, learning, and treats!

The FFA leaders were trained earlier in the week so that they would be able to lead tours for Harvest Days. They put in a lot of work to organize and plan these events and I was beyond impressed. We brought some extra River Steward t-shirts for our FFA tour guides and they took their roles very seriously. When the school tours were complete, the FFA leaders invited Katelyn and I to Dell Delight Dairy Farm owned by their teacher, Mr. Sailor, and his family. We were able to see their milking facilities and even play with some cows!

Sunday 18^th
Our River Stewards: Meg Maloney, Sarah Richard, Katie Weitzel, Ana Ritz, and Charlotte Shade led tours to families taking part in the Family Farm Tour day. The RiverMobile was only one of the many stations that were showcased that day. Since I wasn’t able to attend the Family Farm Tour, some stewards shared their experience with me.

Katie: “It was really cool to see how interested people from the community were in conserving water and keeping the rivers clean.”

Meg: “I loved working at the Drive-In Tour this weekend! I got to meet a lot of wonderful people! It was amazing to hear about how so many farmers are really concerned about keeping the water clean in our watershed. The conversation that stuck out to me the most was a gentleman who said

"Farmers often get a black eye for being the ones to pollute rivers, but we don't want our fertilizer in there either, we want to help. It's just hard to know how."

I think this is really powerful because it reinforces our mission to go out and reach out to the people in the community to help them combat pollution issues.”

Sarah: "The community seemed to be genuinely interested in what we had to say no matter the age!
and the smiles on the kids’ faces when they got to paddle in the canoe was absolutely priceless"


                                           

Overall, this event only further delineated the whole reason the RiverMobile exists. Our watershed is special and our friends in Sidney also agree. Whether we use water for brushing our teeth or watering our crops, we all love our water and want to see it remain healthy. The younger kids loved sharing stories of how they enjoy the rivers and expressed how sad they would be if the fish were sick or if the waters weren’t clean. Our lovely neighbors in Sidney hosted us with the best hospitality. I can’t wait to make my way back to see those cows!