Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:
Connecting people to the Missouri River and its Valley
Dan Burkhardt and his wife Connie co-founded the Katy Land Trust in 2010 to educate and connect others to the value of the landscape along the Katy Trail. They have published "Missouri River Country", "Growing Up with the River" and "Florida Bay Forever", all beautiful coffeetable books with conservation themes. The Burkhardts operate the Peers Store along the Katy Trail near Marthasville as a “conservation outpost” to welcome Trail visitors.
Dan will also be discussing the Missouri River Bluffs development proposal near Weldon Springs. Dan was a leader in public opposition to the plan, which involves purchasing land from the University of Missouri for a subdivision development on the bluffs overlooking the Katy Trail and Missouri River. The development was approved by the St. Charles County Council in June.
Meet Your Presenter
Dan Burkhardt
, author and director of Katy Land Trust
Related Presentations
Resources & Links
Dig deeper for more info on this topic:
- Katy Land Trust website
- "Growing Up with the River" - book by Dan & Connie Burkhardt with art by Bryan Haynes.
- "Missouri River Country" - book by Dan & Connie Burkhardt.
- FILM - "Where the Rivers Run" - KETC
- All the details on the proposed Missouri River Bluffs development near Weldon Springs.
- Weldon Woods website - a new community organization begun to continue fighting the rezoning of the Missouri River Bluffs proposed subdivision.
The Big Muddy Speakers Series in St. Charles
is hosted by these wonderful partners:
All speakers are presenting for free and Big A’s is sharing the space for free! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us!
The Big Muddy Speaker Series also takes place monthly in Rocheport and Kansas City.
A special thank you to Greg Poleski of Greenway Network for making this happen!
The views and opinions expressed by our presenters do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of Greenway Network, the Big Muddy Speaker Series or any of the partners that support this public forum. The Big Muddy Speaker Series believes that hearing diverse perspectives is a crucial building block for an informed public.
Upcoming Presentations
Missouri River Relief: 25 Years on the Big Muddy
November 10, 2026Columbia, MO
Join us for a journey through time celebrating 25 years of Missouri River Relief's work on the Big Muddy.
See Event
Plastic Pollution, Gulf Hypoxia, and Water Quality
November 11, 2026St Charles, MO
Jennifer Wendt from MidAmerica Clean Future guides us through understanding regional water quality challenges.
See Event