Most people have a mental picture of the Mississippi River shaped through the writings of Mark Twain, media images of floods, school lessons in geography, and/or personal experience. Many, however, are not aware of how extensively humans have altered the river’s ecosystem and what it takes to make a large floodplain river like the Mississippi a more sustainable ecosystem. Mississippi River habitat restoration is an art that blends an understanding of historical events, science, insight, communication, and societal desires. In this presentation, Mississippi River Habitat Specialist Jeff Janvrin will touch on these topics and highlight examples of progress through partnerships in recent decades.