KAW 173 – Journey of the Entire Kansas River

June 19, 2020 by /

KAW 173 – Journey of the Entire Kansas River

Learn more here: https://kansasriver.org/kaw173-jc-to-kc-on-the-water-trail/


FOK Team to kayak the entire 173-mile-long Kansas River to highlight the Kansas River Water Trail

For Immediate Release

FRIENDS OF THE KAW TEAM TO KAYAK 173-MILE-LONG KANSAS RIVER TO HIGHLIGHT THE KANSAS RIVER WATER TRAIL

LAWRENCE, KS (JUNE 19, 2020) – Friends of the Kaw (FOK), a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the Kansas River, announces that a team will be kayaking the entire 173-mile long Kansas River to highlight the beauty and accessibility of the Kansas River Water Trail. The name of their journey is the KAW 173.

The KAW 173 Team will depart Junction City on Friday, July 17, 2020, and plan to take ten days to kayak to Kaw Point in Kansas City, Kansas, by Sunday, July 26, 2020. The core group includes Dawn Buehler, Kansas Riverkeeper, and FOK Board Member, Marcia Rozell, along with five of Friends of the Kaw’s long-time volunteer Kaw River Guides. The KAW 173 Team has been preparing for this event for the last two and a half years. Original plans were to make this journey in 2019, but due to a flooded Kansas River, the trip was postponed to 2020. 

“We are so ready for this epic journey that we are about to embark upon,” said Dawn Buehler, Kansas Riverkeeper® & Executive Director. “This core group of volunteers is a small select sample of our entire organization which pours their heart and soul into much of the work that Friends of the Kaw does, and I am so grateful to have them as teammates on this journey.”

Friends of the Kaw invites local community members, mayors, and their FOK river family to join them at designated boat ramps along the way. The public is welcome to join the team for a day on designated sections of the river. Those details will be published on the Friends of the Kaw website (www.kansasriver.org) and through social media outlets. 

About the Kansas River Water Trail:

The Kansas River Water Trail was dedicated in 2012 by the National Park Service and Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. The Kansas River is the longest prairie-based river system in the world and provides recreation, wildlife habitat, and is a drinking water source for over 800,000 Kansans.

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Friends of the Kaw is the only non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the Kansas River. Our mission is to advocate, promote, educate, and engage the Kansas River. 

Protect. Advocate. Discover.  #kansasriver 

For Media Inquiries Please Contact:

Dawn Buehler

Kansas Riverkeeper® & Executive Director

Friends of the Kaw

785.312.7200


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Chasing the Channel – Blog No. 1

June 18, 2020 by /

Chasing the Channel – Blog No. 1

About two weeks ago, I kayaked 48 miles of the Kansas River with some of our long time volunteer Kaw River Guide’s. Our goal for this trip, was to practice preparation for an even greater challenge, to kayak all 173 miles of the Kansas River, all at once, later this summer. We are in the final weeks of preparation and will be making an announcement soon about our journey. I sincerely hope that you will all join us in spirit on this journey, and maybe even some of you will join us to paddle for some of the pre-designated sections of the river where we would love to have some company.

The last few months have been challenging for all of us and certainly FOK as well. We’ve been blessed with plenty of work to keep our minds busy including updates to our website, new updates coming for our river access map, creation of a virtual kids about water program, many grants written, and coming into the home stretch of our beloved Riverbank Restoration Project. We are grateful that we have had opportunities to remain busy.

One of the projects that we’ve been working on since the flood waters receded last December 2019, is doing a complete river check of the entire Kansas River to check for new erosion and pollution. What is quite amazing, is that we continue to see new dumping sites in 2020 and new violations of dumping sediment into our rivers. Lucky for all of us that Friends of the Kaw exists along with our countless members, because if you dump trash from your property into the Kansas River, we will find it and we will enforce it. Let’s just say we’ve been busy this spring. If you see dumping, please report it to riverkeeper@kansasriver.org. Let’s do this together…keep our river clean!

As always, thank you to each one of you for your continued and steady support. We are so very grateful.

If we can help you find ways to connect to the Kansas River, please give us a call or send us an email. We are happy to help you protect, advocate, and discover the Kansas River.

For the river,

Dawn

Your Kansas Riverkeeper

Filed Under: Chasing the Channel Blog

Re-Opening: Spring Events Announced!

May 8, 2020 by /

Re-Opening: Spring Events Announced!

Friends…the last few months have been challenging for everyone not just in Kansas, but around the world.  We are finding new ways to keep moving forward,  In the spirit of this, we have developed some events in May & June 2020 with some new FOK COVID-19 Guidelines.  You can read the Friends of the Kaw COVID-19 Guidelines HERE.

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Spring is here!

March 16, 2020 by /

Spring is here!

We hope to see you all this spring, summer and fall and help you find a way to connect to the Kansas River! Our calendar is full and we will have sign-ups soon. Check out what we have planned on our CALENDAR

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Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2020

January 20, 2020 by /

Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2020

Watch the trailer! https://youtu.be/Dee0_-x5AB0

Join us for our 11th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival! 4 Cities, 4 Nights, 1 Inspiring Film Festival! Tickets on sale now: https://www.kansasriver.org/wsff

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BEERS OF THE KAW!

August 20, 2019 by /

https://bit.ly/31NUx3G:  Online Tickets

 Join us for our 4th Annual

BEERS OF THE KAW! 

Sunday, November 3, 2019

3:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Abe & Jake’s Landing

Lawrence, KS

Supporting Friends of the Kaw, our Riverkeeper Program and our work for the Kansas River! 

Tickets are on sale NOW! 

You can purchase your tickets ONLINE,  or from our friends at Sunflower Outdoor & Bike in downtown Lawrence or at Compass Point, home of the Dirty Girl Adventures in NOTO in Topeka! 

Tickets have sold out the last 3 years, thanks to our supportive friends!  Get your tickets today….and join us to toast the Kansas River!   

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4th of July – De Soto Ramp Closed on Kansas River

July 3, 2019 by /
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Our Team

March 27, 2019 by /

OUR TEAM!

Team Meeting as we kick off our 2019 crazy and fun-filled schedule!

Here’s a glimpse of what’s ahead this year…..

19 Educational River Trips 
7 River Cleanups
16 Kids About Water Education Classes
7 Boys & Girls Club Paddle Experiences
12 Riverbank Restoration Work Days…..
and much more!

We have a full program and a great TEAM to lead our journey for the Kansas River!

(Pictured L-R) Back Row: Dawn Buehler, Kansas Riverkeeper & Executive Director; Laura. Calwell, Education Director,; Mike Norris, Development Director; Front row: Brian Schath, Intern Programs; and Denise Kidder, Education Specialist.

Come join us.
Protect. Advocate. Discover.

Www.kansasriver.org/membership

#kansasriver

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Kansas River Cleanup

March 23, 2019 by /

KANSAS RIVER CLEANUP 

SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2019 – LAWRENCE

Celebrate Earth Month by giving back to the Kansas River! Join The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Kaw and the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association on Saturday April 27 to pick up litter along the river in Lawrence.

We’ll meet at the 8th Street boat ramp in north Lawrence and spread out from there.

Let us know you’re coming! RSVP at bit.ly/kawcleanup

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FRIENDS OF THE KAW AWARDED MDRT FOUNDATION’S WORLDWIDE GRANT

March 19, 2019 by /

FRIENDS OF THE KAW AWARDED MDRT FOUNDATION’S WORLDWIDE GRANT

LAWRENCE, KS (March 19, 2019) – Friends of the Kaw is pleased to announce it has been awarded a grant from the MDRT Foundation through their Worldwide Grant Program.  This grant is awarded to assist Friends of the Kaw with the project “The Great River Cleanup:  Recover & Restore the Kaw”.

“We have worked for over 20 years to cleanup the Kaw and some of our biggest challenges lie ahead”, said Dawn Buehler, Kansas Riverkeeper and Executive Director with Friends of the Kaw.  “We continue to cleanup tires, old boats and battery cases all along the Kansas River”.

The cleanup projects will be started in 2019 and we plan to engage our robust volunteer force to assist with the projects.  Local communities, volunteers, fisherfolk, kayakers, and river enthusiasts all come together to keep our river clean.  We appreciate the assistance from the MDRT Foundation to fund this important work for the health of the Kansas River.

Kansas businessman, Duayne Madl, a member of the Million Dollar Round Table organization, sponsored the grant application and award.

About MRDT Foundation:

The MDRT Foundation is the charitable arm of the Million Dollar Round Table, The Premier Association of Financial Professionals. The MDRT Foundation helps MDRT members maximize their philanthropic efforts in their own communities and worldwide. The mission of the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation is to increase member and industry participation and to give funds to worthwhile charitable organizations throughout the world.

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Friends of the Kaw is the only non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the Kansas River.  Our mission is to advocate, promote, educate and engage the Kansas River.

Protect. Advocate, Discover.  #Kansas River. 

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