In the news: Cosplaying for science and AIS prevention

Posted November 1st, 2024 in Aquatic Invasive Species, Featured

In September, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s aquatic invasive species (AIS) team helped plan and run the Cosplay for Science event in Urbana, Illinois. The goal of this gathering was to teach kids and families about invasive species using a Dungeons & Dragons approach. Over 100 attended this first-time event.

As part of the festivities, Karter Burgdorf, IISG AIS outreach assistant, helped teach attendees about the importance of raising public awareness about invasive species.

You can learn more from University of Illinois graduate student Avalon Feiler’s descriptive blog post on the university news site. Here is a sample:

“It’s a blazingly sunny September Saturday afternoon at Riggs Beer Company, a family-friendly brewery located on the edge of Urbana. It’s not surprising to see crowds of families basking in the dog days of summer with their food truck lunches and locally brewed pints of beer. Unexpected, however, are the patrons donning medieval and fantasy garb, accompanied by young children, some in princess dresses and others carrying around foam swords. 

These aspiring adventurers are here on a quest, recruited to take part in a training regimen to combat the incursion of invasive species from the Feywild, a magical plane that exists adjacent to our own that is full of weird and wonderful wildlife. Or, at least, that’s the lore a mix of Illinois graduate and undergraduate students, alumni and colleagues are presenting, hoping to attract people to a new and unique scientific outreach event.

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Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in coastal and Great Lakes states that encourage the wise stewardship of our marine resources through research, education, outreach and technology transfer. In partnership with the University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant brings science together with communities for solutions that work.

IISG Instagram

Calling all 6-12th grade educators! Only 5 days left to register! Join us for a FREE hands-on workshop exploring the lessons of the new Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems Curriculum at the Dunes Learning Center on April 15.

Get your feet wet (literally!) with crayfish sampling on the Little Calumet River, learn from an expert aquatic ecologist, and master GIS technology to log scientific data. Participants should come prepared for outdoor learning and bring a laptop for classroom activities.

The workshop is open to formal and non-formal educators, with a registration deadline of April 1. Space is limited, so register today at the link in bio.

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Calling all 6-12th grade educators! Only 5 days left to register! Join us for a FREE hands-on workshop exploring the lessons of the new Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems Curriculum at the Dunes Learning Center on April 15.Get your feet wet (literally!) with crayfish sampling on the Little Calumet River, learn from an expert aquatic ecologist, and master GIS technology to log scientific data. Participants should come prepared for outdoor learning and bring a laptop for classroom activities. The workshop is open to formal and non-formal educators, with a registration deadline of April 1. Space is limited, so register today at the link in bio.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant welcomes Hillary Glandon, the program’s new coastal ecosystem and community resilience specialist, to the team! Hillary will work to assess coastal change and provide actionable solutions for communities along the Great Lakes shorelines. Her position at IISG is in partnership with @inhsillinois in the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute.

Full story at the link in bio.

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Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant welcomes Hillary Glandon, the program’s new coastal ecosystem and community resilience specialist, to the team! Hillary will work to assess coastal change and provide actionable solutions for communities along the Great Lakes shorelines. Her position at IISG is in partnership with @inhsillinois in the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute. Full story at the link in bio.

The Great Lakes BioBlitz is pleased to kick off this year’s event with a special webinar. Register today to learn some of the ways citizen science platforms are used to document locations, species diversity, and local phenology in diverse ecosystems.

What: Citizen Science & Research in the Sax-Zim Bog
When: April 9, 2 pm CT
Where: Zoom Webinar

Register at the link in bio.

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The Great Lakes BioBlitz is pleased to kick off this year’s event with a special webinar. Register today to learn some of the ways citizen science platforms are used to document locations, species diversity, and local phenology in diverse ecosystems. What: Citizen Science & Research in the Sax-Zim BogWhen: April 9, 2 pm CTWhere: Zoom WebinarRegister at the link in bio.
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