June 5th, 2024 by Hope Charters
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) welcomes Julie Fiorito, the program’s new K-12 education specialist. The focus of Fiorito’s work will be to increase Great Lakes literacy among Illinois and Indiana youth through development, delivery, and evaluation of science-based educational programming.
“I believe that access to quality educational programming can give Lake Michigan communities the agency to create policy and cultural shifts to improve the health of the lake ecosystem,” said Fiorito. “I am excited to join IISG in this role to empower young learners in these communities through place-based education to become part of the solution to the environmental challenges the Great Lakes face.”
She will offer support to educators throughout the southern Lake Michigan basin in bringing the most recent aquatic research into their K-12 classrooms through immersive and engaging professional learning.
In her role with IISG, Fiorito will develop educational programming around Great Lakes issues, such as coastal resilience, invasive species, aquaculture, and food web ecology, that address local needs and increase science and Great Lakes literacy. She’ll also work directly with teachers in Illinois and Indiana to develop resources and opportunities including curricula, field days, and teacher training workshops.
Fiorito is skilled in a variety of education methodologies and has extensive experience as a high school teacher planning, directing, and coordinating various educational programs. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in biology teacher education from Illinois State University in 2012 and a Master of Science in teaching biological science from University of Illinois in 2017.
She will be housed in Illinois Extension and located in Chicago at the Illini Center.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a partnership between NOAA, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, bringing science together with communities for solutions that work. Sea Grant is a network of 34 science, education and outreach programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Lake Champlain, Puerto Rico and Guam.
May 12th, 2024 by Hope Charters
A group of 150 Illinois Conservation Police Officers (CPOs) gathered in Decatur for a hands-on workshop on aquatic invasive species (AIS) during their annual meeting this spring. Developed by the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) AIS team in collaboration with the lab of Carena van Riper, a conservation psychologist at the University of Illinois, the focus of the workshop was to educate and equip officers with the knowledge and tools to combat the spread of AIS and protect the state’s natural resources.
Spearheaded by Elizabeth Golebie, a post-doc in van Riper’s lab who has previous experience working with IISG as a grad student and extensive research experience related to AIS, in partnership with CPO Brandon Fehrenbacher, the workshop featured hands-on lessons that taught officers about the potential impacts of AIS and how to identify several species of invasive fish, crayfish, and aquatic plants. Modules were taught by Chris Taylor and Greg Spyreas of the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), who covered invasive crayfish and invasive aquatic plants, respectively, and Katie O’Reilly of IISG and INHS, who addressed invasive fish species.
Katie O’Reilly prefaces a hands-on identification exercise with information about invasive fish species in Illinois.
“We know once invasive species are introduced and they become established, it’s really difficult to get rid of them,” said O’Reilly, “so prevention is one of the strongest tools we have. And part of that prevention is the enforcement of some rules that are on the books.
“The CPOs are on the ground enforcing the rules, writing tickets, doing the legwork to stop people from spreading AIS. They’re our first line of defense in a lot of cases, so by giving them knowledge and resources, we hope they feel more confident that if they see something in the field or they get a call about a weird fish somebody caught, they know what their next step can be or who to contact to confirm identification.”
CPOs play a crucial role in enforcing both state and federal AIS regulations to prevent the spread of harmful non-native species in Illinois and the Great Lakes region. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources funded this workshop through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative as a result of officers expressing a need for information about AIS, wanting more resources in case they were out in the field and needed to enforce regulations. Questions such as “How do I identify this fish?” and “What are the impacts it may have on ecosystems?” were common during the workshop.
One highlight was the hands-on experience offered to the officers. They were able to directly engage with various AIS specimens, learning how to distinguish between native and invasive species—a skill essential for effective enforcement and conservation efforts. The workshop also emphasized the significance of outreach and education in AIS management, including a session by Greg Hitzroth of IISG. Officers received valuable resources to carry during fieldwork, enabling them to educate the public and colleagues about AIS and the importance of prevention measures.
“We provided the officers with an ID guide that featured a few key species that were taught in each of the modules, with identifying characteristics listed for each species,” said Golebie. “The goal was to have them practice using the ID guide at the workshop and then take it with them to reference in the field.”
One side of the AIS identification guide provided to the CPOs covers some of the most common invasive fish and crayfish in Illinois.
In addition to outreach materials, participants received information on resources to review and who to contact if they have questions regarding a specific species or need legal assistance in court during a case. After participating in the workshop, these CPOs not only know which scientists they can contact but also how to best take a picture in the field to send to experts who can identify the species, making it easier for them to work together. By receiving education on the impacts of AIS, practical training on species identification, and resources to use in the field, the officers are now better equipped to detect and manage potential threats.
The workshop collaboration underscores the commitment of multiple agencies and institutions to address the threat of AIS and protect the ecological integrity of Illinois’ waterways and the Great Lakes ecosystem. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant was able to connect experts with people on the ground who are enforcing the rules around AIS. By empowering Illinois Conservation Police Officers with knowledge, resources, and practical skills, this initiative is a significant step forward in safeguarding the state’s aquatic ecosystems from the detrimental effects of invasive species.
Resources:
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a partnership between NOAA, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, bringing science together with communities for solutions that work. Sea Grant is a network of 34 science, education and outreach programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Lake Champlain, Puerto Rico and Guam.
April 18th, 2024 by Hope Charters
January 29th, 2024 by Hope Charters
Apply today for the 2024 Shipboard Science Workshop aboard US EPA’s R/V Lake Guardian on Lake Erie!
Formal and non-formal 5th–12th grade educators from across the Great Lakes states are invited to apply to join the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL) and Great Lakes scientists for a once-in-a-lifetime, free opportunity to assist scientists and bring the Great Lakes back to their classrooms! The workshop is July 7–13, 2024. Deadline for applications is Feb. 19, 2024.
Through a partnership with the US EPA Great Lakes National Program Office, and funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through NOAA, educators will spend a full week alongside researchers aboard the US EPA research vessel R/V Lake Guardian. Hosts for the Lake Erie workshop are CGLL partners Ohio Sea Grant and Pennsylvania Sea Grant educators.
The Shipboard Science Workshops rotate among the five Great Lakes and are designed to promote Great Lakes sciences while forging lasting relationships between Great Lakes researchers and educators. CGLL is a collaborative effort led by Sea Grant educators throughout the U.S. Great Lakes watershed. CGLL fosters informed and responsible decisions that advance basin-wide stewardship by providing hands-on experiences, educational resources, and networking opportunities promoting Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of educators, scientists, and youth.
For more information on the 2024 Shipboard Science Workshop and application materials, visit the Center for Great Lakes Literacy website.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a partnership between NOAA, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, bringing science together with communities for solutions that work. Sea Grant is a network of 34 science, education and outreach programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Lake Champlain, Puerto Rico and Guam.
January 24th, 2024 by Hope Charters
Nestled in the pedestrian walkways leading from Illini Grove to the larger University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, Illinois Extension’s 10,000-square-foot Red Oak Rain Garden is an inviting demonstration site that first began to take shape in 2006 to address flooding issues that threatened pathways and a large red oak tree. It has continued to evolve through collaborative efforts and multiple funding sources including campus Facilities & Services, the Student Sustainability Committee, the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, Champaign County Design and Conversation Foundation, and partnership with Extension’s Champaign County Master Gardeners and East Central Illinois Master Naturalists.
Direct, individual donor support is also a vital component of sustaining the garden. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumnae Karen Folk and her husband, Michael, who pledged $25,000 in funding toward Red Oak Rain Garden, shared, “Red Oak Rain Garden’s transformation from a barren, littered campus space to a beautiful garden and effective stormwater management system has been inspiring. Its long-term maintenance is important to us because it has also become a learning environment for students, volunteers, and the wider community. We hope that our gift will inspire others to contribute to keeping this a space of natural beauty for all to enjoy.”
Recently, Mrs. Jean Bollero Lawyer of Heyworth, joined this group of committed partners by contributing a gift of $5,000 toward the continued maintenance and improvement of Red Oak Rain Garden. Mrs. Lawyer shared her gift inspiration, “Much of my undergrad experience at University of Illinois took place outdoors, as I walked around the beautiful campus. I found that fresh air, beautiful sights, and yes — walking had a positive impact on my sense of well-being. Fifty years later, I want to help provide that same experience to others. There is so much we can learn from nature as well as in the classroom.”
C. Eliana Brown, water quality and stormwater specialist with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Illinois Extension, who serves as director of the rain garden, remarked, “generous gifts like these are important because they allow us to maintain this haven for people and wildlife in perpetuity and ensure that both the habitat and the day-to-day function are optimized.”
Visitors and those hustling over the boardwalk bridge on their way to and from campus get a sense of well-being from the sustainable landscape, which features over 9,000 native plants, wildlife habitation (including pollinators and avian residents), a footbridge made from sustainably harvested wood from Allerton Park, and small sculptural elements that all work in harmony to create a beautiful and smart space that addresses an area that would otherwise be prone to flooding. The rain garden’s native plants and soil absorb and filter rainwater runoff, which mitigates flooding and improves water quality. The garden is certified as a Monarch Watch butterfly waystation and bird-friendly by the National Audubon Society. Both landscape architecture and horticultural classes regularly visit the space, as well as little ones from the Child Development Lab.
To stay up to date, follow Red Oak Rain Garden on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
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Interested in learning about rain garden care and native plants? Workdays are 9 to 11 a.m. Fridays. If you’re interested in volunteering, email uie-RedOakRainGarden@illinois.edu.
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Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a partnership between NOAA, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, bringing science together with communities for solutions that work. Sea Grant is a network of 34 science, education and outreach programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Lake Champlain, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Contact: C. Eliana Brown, water quality and stormwater specialist, Illinois-Indiana See Grant and Illinois Extension
Writer: Emily Steele, media communications manager, Illinois Extension
Source: Illinois Extension News
January 23rd, 2024 by Hope Charters
Carolyn Foley, research coordinator for Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG), received the Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) 2023 Outstanding Administrative/Professional Staff Member Award. Foley was recognized for her leadership, resourcefulness and selfless contributions to FNR and IISG, as well as for her diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts for both organizations.
Foley has served the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant research program since 2010 and is the primary contact for questions related to requests for proposals and IISG funded research projects at all stages of completion. She also helps plan and execute research and outreach activities on campus and with several collaborative partners across the Great Lakes region. Foley started the IISG Scholars Program in 2021, which provides funding and professional development for graduate students as well as faculty from institutes of higher learning in Illinois and Indiana. In the past year, she managed a complex research program of her own, studying aquatic invertebrates and small-bodies fishes, and supported Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative efforts on Lake Michigan while also serving as research coordinator for IISG as a whole. Professionally, Foley served as the Past-Chair of the National Sea Grant Research Coordinators Network and Chair of the Great Lakes Research Coordinators Network in 2023. In the summer of 2023, Foley began serving as the Co-Chair of the Purdue FNR Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Belonging (DEIJB) Committee.
Her nominators shared that “Carolyn’s dedication to the research and educational mission of Purdue and FNR is top tier” and that she “is valued for her leadership within the broader Sea Grant network and beyond.” One colleague summed it up like this: “Carolyn embodies the concept that if you care more about it than anyone else, you own it. Every day, she shows up and finds creative ways to keep the trains running and helps find solutions to thorny issues to make us, and everyone around her, better at doing what they do.”
Foley was previously honored at Purdue with the College of Agriculture’s Unsung Diversity Hero Award in 2021.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a partnership between NOAA, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, bringing science together with communities for solutions that work. Sea Grant is a network of 34 science, education and outreach programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Lake Champlain, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Adapted from Purdue FNR article
June 19th, 2023 by Hope Charters
Purdue Extension—in partnership with the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD), Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD)—have been selected to support a multi-state effort to help rural, tribal and underserved communities access federal funding for energy and environmental improvement efforts.
The University of Minnesota will lead the effort as an Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5. The Purdue Extension Community Development program will provide central support in Indiana to help communities navigate federal grant application systems, identify partners and matching funds, and assist with project design and development.
“Purdue Extension is positioned well to connect with rural and underserved communities across Indiana with staff in all 92 counties,” said Kara Salazar, assistant program leader for Purdue Extension Community Development and sustainable communities extension specialist with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. “We look forward to working with regional partners as a liaison for communities in need of resources to assist with clean energy and water, affordable and sustainable housing, and addressing legacy pollution.”
Michael Wilcox, associate director of NCRCRD and assistant director and program leader of Purdue Extension Community Development, welcomes interested community partners to reach out to get involved.
“We look forward to connecting with communities across the state while collaborating with our partners across the EPA Region 5. This is another excellent example of states within the north central region working together as partners to address pressing issues while fostering community resilience,” he added.
“Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is enthusiastic to build on our ongoing programs as we partner on this broad project to help support underserved coastal communities around southern Lake Michigan and throughout the Great Lakes in addressing environmental challenges,” said Tomas Höök, director of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and professor in Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.
PCRD will provide support for engagement and data needs throughout the project for local leaders and funding partners.
“The funds will provide resources to engage in capacity building for rural and tribal marginalized and underserved communities as they participate in a clean energy economy and work on advancing environmental justice goals,” said Indraneel Kumar, principal regional planner for PCRD.
Support and outreach will begin in July 2023 and continue for five years. The regional center is a part the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, clean water and other investments to disadvantaged communities.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a partnership between NOAA, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, bringing science together with communities for solutions that work. Sea Grant is a network of 34 science, education and outreach programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Lake Champlain, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Contact: Kara Salazar
June 15th, 2023 by Hope Charters
The U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board announced earlier this year that Kwamena Quagrainie of Purdue University received a Fulbright Specialist Program award. Through April and May of 2023, Dr. Quagrainie completed a project at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, training faculty and graduate students about the economics of aquaculture. The project’s aim was to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities both in the U.S. and overseas through a variety of educational and training activities within the field of agriculture.
Kwamena Quagrainie (far right) stands with faculty and graduate students in front of an aquaculture facility at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana.
Dr. Quagrainie is one of over 400 U.S. citizens who share expertise with host institutions abroad through the Fulbright Specialist Program each year. Recipients of Fulbright Specialist awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field, and their potential to foster long-term cooperations between institutions in the U.S. and abroad.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.
Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
Fulbrighters address critical global issues in all disciplines, while building relationships, knowledge, and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 60 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 88 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 39 who have served as a head of state or government.
For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State, please visit https://eca.state.gov/fulbright.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a partnership between NOAA, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, bringing science together with communities for solutions that work. Sea Grant is a network of 34 science, education and outreach programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Lake Champlain, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Contact: Kwamena Quagrainie
June 14th, 2023 by Hope Charters
15 Teachers, 5 Great Lakes States, 1 Week on EPA Research Vessel Lake Guardian
Fifteen educators from five states along the Great Lakes will become scientists during the 2023 Shipboard Science Workshop on Lake Ontario aboard the Lake Guardian, the U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) research vessel. This unique workshop hosted by New York Sea Grant (NYSG) will take place July 6-12, 2023. The ship will depart from Rochester and make shore stops in Youngstown and Oswego.
Teachers from New York, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin will learn alongside research scientists from the U.S. EPA GLNPO, the Great Lakes Research Consortium, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Cornell University.
NYSG Great Lakes Literacy Specialist Nate Drag will guide the teachers in developing lesson plans and curricula to take back to their classrooms to inspire students.
“This unique on-the-water hands-on learning experience increases teachers’ understanding of the Great Lakes’ unparalleled value and fosters creation of personalized teaching resources to spark student interest in the world’s largest surface freshwater system,” said Drag.
Among their activities, the group will take part in water sampling and be able to analyze the samples in on-board laboratories.
This Shipboard Science Workshop is supported with Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding, through an interagency agreement by the U.S. EPA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and National Sea Grant Office. Learn more at www.epa.gov/great-lakes-monitoring/lake-guardian/ and www.epa.gov/great-lakes-monitoring/cooperative-science-and-monitoring-initiative-csmi/.
New York Sea Grant will be leading the Lake Ontario Shipboard Science Workshop in cooperation with the Center for Great Lakes Literacy, coordinated by all Great Lakes Sea Grant programs.
The 2023 Lake Ontario Shipboard Science Workshop teachers by state are:
New York
. Barbara Bibbins, Belleville-Henderson Central School, Belleville;
. Melissa Elliott, North Tonawanda High School, North Tonawanda;
. Joseph Perry, Palmyra-Macedon High School, Palmyra;
. Christy Pratt, Horseheads High School, Horseheads;
. Peter Spence, Byron-Bergen Jr/Sr High School, Bergen;
. Tara Spitzer-List, Virtual Academy of Rochester, Rochester; and
. Tucker Ruderman, World of Inquiry School #58, Rochester.
Illinois
. Jennifer Kahn, Libertyville High School, Libertyville; and
. Colleen McVeigh, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago.
Michigan
. Katrina Coyne, Flat Rock Community High School, Flat Rock;
. Natalie Cypher, Michigan Outdoor Adventure Center, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Detroit; and
. Stephanie Dege, Posen High School, Posen.
Ohio
. Beth Schoonover, Stow-Munroe Falls High School, Stow.
Wisconsin
. Jennifer Koziar, Edgewood Campus School, Madison; and
. Dana Lex, West De Pere High School, De Pere.
MEDIA CONTACTS
. New York Sea Grant Great Lakes Literacy Specialist Nate Drag, 716-645-3610, nwd4@cornell.edu
. Publicist Kara Lynn Dunn: 315-465-7578, karalynn@gisco.net
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