Protecting and restoring habitat along the Mississippi River has far-reaching benefits across the hemisphere. The Audubon Center at Riverlands conservation team conducts bottomland forest avian monitoring. Photo: Sydney Walsh/Audubon The Mississippi is well worth reading about. It is not a commonplace river, but on the contrary is in all ways remarkable.  — Mark Twain,  Life on the Mississippi  The Mississippi River is a globally significant ecosystem, often referred to as the “lifeblood of America” for both people and birds. Its vast watershed drains 41 percent of the continental United States, touching three-fifths of the nation’s states and two Canadian provinces. It forms the core of the Mississippi Flyway, a central migratory passageway supporting nearly 60 percent of North America’s migratory bird species. Despite this ecological importance, the river faces increasing pressures and was recently named  America’s most endangered river .…