Reader’s Digest, Saving the Mississippi: One man’s quest to heal the Mississippi
In a black wet suit and a combat life vest, with a 15-inch bowie knife strapped to
his chest, Kristian Gustavson looks like the Navy SEAL he almost was. But the blond,
gregarious 25-year-old environmentalist is on a different kind of mission. He hefts a
12-foot stand-up paddleboard, lays it on the water, and glides effortlessly across the
muddy current to survey the junction of two of the most famous rivers in the country:
the Mississippi and its main offshoot, the Atchafalaya. Text by Steve Chapple
Learn More: Below The Surface is a California nonprofit organization focused on
promoting water conservation and improving water quality in rivers and oceans.