Mississipipi River Headwaters
The mission of the Source to Sea Expedition was to raise awareness for the Audubon Society’s Upper Mississippi River Campaign. The Audubon Society has recently expanded the program is now working on a comprehensive Headwaters to Gulf initiative. We continue to support their efforts toward the protection and wise management of this vast resource. We also are focusing on the watersheds of North Carolina, and work with several local environmental groups and schools in the area.
Beginning as a small brook draining from Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the Mississippi gathers the waters of the Ohio, Missouri, and numerous smaller rivers, eventually emptying into the Gulf of Mexico some 2,350 miles later. The Mississippi River drains 41% of the United States, and serves as a migratory route during spring and fall migration for 40% of the nation’s waterfowl. Sixty percent of all North American birds (326 species) use the Mississippi River Basin as their migratory flyway.
Source to Sea Expedition
On May 14, 2005, we began our journey down Mississippi River beginning from its source at Lake Itasca State Park, Minnesota. 73 days and three million paddle strokes later, we finished our 2,150-mile canoe trip just above the Gulf of Mexico at Sweetwater Bay, Louisiana. After enduring everything from hail to hurricanes, it was a journey we’ll never forget.
Mississippi River Endangered Status
During the course of the expedition, we uploaded our river journals and took more than 2,000 photographs. John has written a book, featuring journals, photography, environmental issues, and an extensive resource guide for planning your own trip down the Mississippi River, which will be released in 2009.
Great Outdoor Provision Company, a Raleigh NC based outfitter, was the primary sponsor for the expedition. Please visit our sponsor page for more information about the companies that helped support this cause.The Mississippi has captured people’s imaginations for hundreds of years. We hope you enjoy our story as we paddle down North America’s second longest river.
You can be part of this action! Visit Audubon’s Upper Mississippi River Campaign Membership page and join in this cause.
For more information about the expedition, or to schedule a slideshow for your group or organization, please feel free to contact us.
Take care,
-John Pugh and Jessica Robinson
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