No handmade boats or ducks will be barreling down Shoal Creek this year as part of the annual Shoal Creek Water Festival that draws over a thousand people to Southwest Missouri.
But the Wildcat Glades Friends Group and partners are hosting a series of in-person and virtual education classes next week in place of the 13th annual festival that was canceled this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The free courses will be offered next week.
“We usually get 1,000 to 1,500 people at our event, and due to the COVID-19 procedures, we didn’t feel like it would be in our best interest or the best interest of the public to try to gather that many people together,” said Lauren Copple, naturalist with the Wildcat Glades Friends Group. “We tried to come up with a fun new way to be able to do it in smaller groups, but still celebrate and educate about water.”
The Shoal Creek Water Festival was launched over a decade ago as a way to highlight Joplin’s primary water source, and the friends group hopes to continue that tradition with this year’s courses. Copple said the event brought the community and like-minded organizations together to celebrate water.
The festival normally is held on the first Saturday in August.
“It’s a fun way for us to get a lot of people out,” Copple said. “We have some fun, but we also talk about the importance of water, why we should protect it and how many people use it. It was a difficult decision to cancel this event, but we’re excited to do something in its place.”
The courses will follow the significance of clean streams, water sport safety and the purification of freshwater streams.
“It’s part of our mission statement to get kids outside and learning why the environment’s important, why we need to be taking care of it and why even just a small piece like Wildcat Glades is special and needs to be preserved,” Copple said.
Class sizes are limited to 10 people per course to maintain social distancing, and masks are required. Every course offered in-person will also be streamed live and uploaded virtually on the Wildcat Glades Facebook page or website.
“Lauren is working on a number of virtual and educational programs that will be available to the community, and it’s what we can do at this time,” said Steve Gaarder, president of the Wildcat Glades Friends Group. “We’re always looking to educate the public about nature, and this is specifically about the water in Shoal Creek.”
Copple said they’ll also add some filler classes next week like a riparian corridor guided hike and cast-iron cooking and cleaning.
“One of my favorite topics is riparian corridors, which is an area on either side of the stream,” she said. “When you talk about riparian corridors, you discuss the leaves that fall from the trees into the water and the aquatic invertebrates that attach themselves to that. This is where our mayflies come from or other insects.”
Missouri American Water has also provided videos about how the water is taken from Shoal Creek, cleaned and used for drinking water. Copple said a lot of these topics are the same ones that would’ve been discussed during the Shoal Creek Water Festival.
With the extra downtime, the Wildcat Glades Friends Group is already brainstorming ideas for next year’s water festival. The goal is to add ideas and educational topics in the not-too-distant future.
Festival week classes
Several classes are scheduled to be held at the Wildcat Glades pavilion next week. Registration is required for all of them; to register, visit the Wildcat Glades Facebook page or email Lauren Copple at lauren@wildcatglades.org.
• Introduction to Floating Safety with Extreme Sport Scuba from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Whether people are using an inner tube, canoe, kayak or paddleboard, river safety is a priority. This class will cover safety tips as well as provide vessel demonstrations. Participants must bring water shoes and a towel. For ages 12 and up.
• Birds by the Creek from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Participants hit the trails to see what kind of birds call Shoal Creek and the surrounding area home. The local Audubon chapter will guide the hike. Participants must wear sturdy shoes and bring water, a mask and binoculars. Registration is required.
• Fly-fishing with Missouri Arkansas Kansas Oklahoma fishers from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7.
MAKO fishers will teach the basics to fly tying and casting. For ages 8 and up. Registration is required.
• Yoga in Nature for Adults with Peaceful Yoga by Amanda from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8.
Led by a registered yoga instructor, this class is designed to incorporate elements of nature, breathing and yoga poses. Participants must bring a yoga mat or a towel and a reusable water bottle. For ages 16 and up.
• Yoga in Nature for Kids with Peaceful Yoga by Amanda from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8.
Led by a registered yoga instructor, this class is designed to incorporate elements of nature, breathing and yoga poses, specifically for children. Participants must bring a yoga mat or a towel and a reusable water bottle. For ages 2 and up accompanied by an adult.
• Introduction to Stand-Up Paddleboarding with Joplin SUP from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 8.
Members of the Joplin SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding) Group will provide an introduction to stand-up paddleboarding at the Wildcat Glades boat ramp. This class will be taught on the hour at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon. Participants must bring a towel and a mask.
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