Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:
"Real Resilience - harnessing natural infrastructure to achieve systemic disaster preparedness for the entire Mississippi River Corridor"
Meet Your Presenter
Colin Wellenkamp
, Executive Director
Colin was the first to graduate from Saint Louis University with a degree in Environmental Studies; the first Creighton Law student to serve as a national officer in the American Bar Association; and the first student to graduate from the George Washington Law School in DC with an LL.M. in sustainable development law. Colin is a Registered Environmental Manager, has worked as an environmental scientist, and represented public entities in Washington, DC for over a decade before returning home to Missouri. While in DC, Colin secured over $50 million in federal grant funds for the local and state governments he represented.
Colin is currently an adjunct professor at Washington University, has served on the board of St. Louis Earth Day, is a recipient of the American Bar Association Silver Key Award.
Related Presentations
Resources & Links
Dig Deeper for more info on this topic -
- Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative website
- MRCTI Mapping Database
- PODCAST - "Elected Officials, Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative Rep Talk Flooding, Solutions" - St. Louis On the Air, May 10, 2019
- ARTICLE - "The Mississippi River Is Under Control—For Now" - Time Magazine - Aug. 1, 2019
- ARTICLE - "A New Tool Can Help Mississippi River Cities Plan For Future Floods" - St. Louis Public Radio - Aug. 1, 2019
- ARTICLE - "River Town Mayors Nervously Watch Rising Water, Want More Funding For Flood Prevention" - St. Louis Public Radio - May 4, 2019
- ARTICLE - "Midwestern Floods Pit Communities Against One Another as Levees Rise Ever Higher" - New York Times - May 7, 2019
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
Leave No Trace Training on the Barge
October 14, 2026St. Louis, MO
Join us for a special Big Muddy Speaker Series on the Living Lands & Waters Barge where Perry Whitaker will lead us in a Leave No Trace Training.
See Event
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