Living Lands & Waters unveils classroom barge, new HQ

Living Lands & Waters (LL&W) has even more to celebrate this year as it makes preparations for its 2023 Barge Party.  The award-winning nonprofit, founded in 1988 by Quad Cities native and environmentalist  Chad Pregracke, is marking two new milestones: the launch of a new classroom barge and the opening of its new Quad Cities […]

Living Lands & Waters (LL&W) has even more to celebrate this year as it makes preparations for its 2023 Barge Party.  The award-winning nonprofit, founded in 1988 by Quad Cities native and environmentalist  Chad Pregracke, is marking two new milestones: the launch of a new classroom barge and the opening of its new Quad Cities headquarters on the Mississippi River in East Moline.  Mr. Pregracke and his crew will celebrate those achievements and more when LL&W holds its annual barge party from 5 to 9 p.m., Thursday, June 15, at Beacon Harbor on the East Moline riverfront.  LL&W will be relocating its primary offices from its existing shop on East Moline’s Route 84 into what had been the Beacon Harbor River Centre. The building, which has been vacant since about 2014, was part of The Quarter former development. The City of East Moline sold the structure to the organization.  But it will be the barge classroom that will take center stage at the party when it is unveiled to LL&W supporters.

“We are in the process of repurposing an old 19th-century steam-powered crane barge into a new ‘Floating Classroom’ that will be centered around educating students about careers on the river,” LL&W Marketing Director Leah Cafarelli told the QCBJ in an email. “This barge will travel up and down the Mississippi from St. Paul, Minnesota, to St. Louis, Missouri, making stops along the way.” She added that high school students will be able to learn more about the 2,300 miles of career opportunities available along the river. The group expects the new “Mississippi River Institute Floating Classroom” to open this summer.  The state-of-the-art facility will provide students with hands-on learning experiences designed to inspire them to become stewards of the maritime industry. Many of the materials used in the classroom barge’s construction were repurposed and include items the LL&W crew recovered from its river cleanups. Ms. Cafarelli credited the many LL&W sponsors and donors with helping make a new learning lab a reality.  "This event is a celebration of our commitment to educating the next generation about the importance of protecting our rivers and preserving our environment,” Mr. Pregracke said of the 2023 Barge Party. “We look forward to sharing our new facility with the community and raising funds to support our ongoing efforts." A highlight of the event will be an art auction featuring environmentally themed artwork made from natural, repurposed or recycled materials. Established in 2003 with the help of Quad Cities artist Heidi Sallows, the art auction’s goal is to celebrate art made from natural materials while raising operating funds for LL&W. 

Organizers still are accepting donations for the art auction. While the preference is for environmentally themed artwork made from natural, repurposed or recycled materials, LL&W will accept all donations and media. To donate an item, contact Megan Shanafelt at (309) 553-0492 or [email protected]. In addition, the 2023 Barge Party will feature live music by “For Those About to Yacht;” a BBQ, Fish Fry & Shrimp Boil; wine pull and a cash bar. Guests also can tour the new classroom barge and learn more about LL&W’s mission to clean up America's rivers. Each year, LL&W hosts dozens of river cleanup events. Since its inception, the crew has worked on 24 rivers in 21 states and, with the help of more than 100,000 volunteers, the organization has removed 9.9 million pounds of debris from U.S. waterways, according to its website.  Tickets for the 2023 Barge Party are $75 per person, or $600 for a table of eight. They can be purchased online at www.livinglandsandwaters.org/bargeparty. Parking and shuttles will be available at 1100 13th Ave., East Moline. The party will be at Beacon Harbor.  For more information about Living Lands & Waters and its mission to clean up America's rivers, visit www.livinglandsandwaters.org.