It’s a familiar story. Local decision-makers consider plans to clear a stand of old trees to install a parking lot or some other development and residents unexpectedly, strongly push back. What may have seemed like a bottom-line decision suddenly pits different needs and values in the community against each other.

While the value of development can often be quickly summed up in dollars that enhance the local economy, the value of a stand of trees is not so easily calculated. And yet, natural environments, such as the trees in question, most certainly offer benefits to people—they reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, absorb rainwater, and provide a nice place to recreate, to name just a few. 

These benefits can be described as ecosystem services, a term developed as part of a process to help communities enumerate and quantify the many services that nature provides that benefit people.

“Understanding and assessing ecosystem services can improve decision-making by providing a more complete picture of the benefits and potential tradeoffs involved in making land use choices,” said Margaret Schneemann, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) water resource economist.

Schneemann along with Leslie Dorworth, IISG aquatic ecologist, have developed a program to introduce the concept of ecosystem services to local decision-makers and to walk them through the steps involved in defining and assessing the value of nature’s benefits as part of the planning process.

“Recognizing and valuing these services encourages decision-makers to implement best management practices to make sure these benefits continue to be available,” said Dorworth.

For local resource managers or land managers, the process begins with identifying and mapping local ecosystems that are used by the community—to compile an inventory.

“The next step is to develop an understanding of the value of local ecosystem services to the community and how the community is actually using those ecosystems,” said Schneemann. “When you’re looking at a potential action that would impact those ecosystem services, you can convey the tradeoffs to the public in a transparent way.”

Making better decisions with regard to ecosystems and their benefits to people includes understanding how they work from a biological perspective. Many community members, or even decision-makers, might value local brook trout, for example, but are unaware of the need for sufficient habitat and the organisms that make up a healthy food web that support these fish.

“Because people may not understand the biological relationships in an ecosystem, they might support a plan or decision that is counterproductive to the ecosystem services they want,” said Dorworth.Schneeman sees value in doing an economic study, but if a community’s efforts stop short of that, the work is still useful for addressing tradeoffs and making informed decisions. Important questions and answers can be brought forth.

“If we cut down an oak forest, what are we impacting? What’s going to change in the community? The frequency of flooding? The bird watching? People’s heritage or cultural values? Writing all that down and mapping that all out can help unpack all those connections,” said Schneemann.

Schneemann and Dorworth are designing a pilot workshop to start at the basics—identifying and mapping ecosystems, defining ecosystem services, and understanding whether a potential action involves ecosystem services. The first workshop will take place in 2025. The website, Valuing Ecosystem Services, also provides an introduction to related concepts and links to resources. 

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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.

The 2024 issue of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s magazine, The Helm, is now available. This annual publication is a collection of program research, outreach and education success stories, as well as ongoing activities to address coastal concerns. This issue describes IISG-funded research to help reduce drownings in Lake Michigan, especially for Black youth, introduces a community planning approach to assess the value of natural environments, and reflects on our 14-year intern program. 

Here are some headlines from this issue:

• Swimming Safer: Sharing knowledge, data, and resources
• IISG interns can have invaluable real-world experiences
• Spelling out nature’s benefits helps inform land use decisions
• Largemouth bass in the busy Chicago River are seeking out natural areas
• We’re funding new research to address emerging coastal issues

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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.

For several nights at the end of October at the Red Oak Rain Garden on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, 57 jack-o’-lanterns glowed and smiled or snarled in their way, while a nature-based art show celebrated the temporary aspects of seasons and memory.

Around 400 visitors joined in to help celebrate Halloween and explore “Illuminating Art in Nature,” a whimsical exhibit of 16 art student-created sculptures evoking fleeting childhood memories and nostalgia that were displayed around the garden’s fall foliage. The student artists represented two university classes in the Department of Fine and Applied Art and they were involved in both creating art and curating it.

The jack-o’-lanterns lining the garden border were created by students living in Unit One Allen Hall, a nearby dorm, showcasing a diverse array of designs. While some pumpkins drew inspiration from the Red Oak Rain Garden’s native plants and the wildlife that benefits from the garden, such as owls and bats, others featured traditional jack-o’-lantern faces and a variety of creative themes. A winning pumpkin was chosen on Halloween.

“The entire event was designed to use and promote sustainable practices,” said Eliana Brown, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant stormwater specialist and the garden director. “It incorporated biodegradable materials, including pumpkins and the sculptures’ natural elements, which have been composted.”

“Illuminating Art in Nature” was presented by the University of Illinois Extension, specifically the Red Oak Rain Garden team. The garden’s mission is to be a venue for exemplary rainwater management and to provide outreach, education and service learning as well as opportunities for on-campus research.

You can learn more about “Illuminating Art in Nature” by visiting the Red Oak Rain Garden blog or see photos of the art in the event guide.

Photo by Fred Zwicky/University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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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.

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.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program is thrilled to announce the finalists for the 2025 class of the Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. This year, for the first time in program history, all eligible Sea Grant programs are represented by a diverse cohort of 88 early-career professionals who will spend the next year working alongside federal agencies or legislative offices in Washington, D.C., applying their academic expertise to critical marine, coastal and Great Lakes policy issues. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant will be represented by three Knauss finalists.

As in previous years, this year’s finalists were selected through a competitive process that involved review panels composed of national experts in marine science, policy and education. Over the past 45 years, the Knauss Fellowship has supported more than 1,680 students who have significantly contributed to environmental policy and management and built lasting careers. 

“This year’s Knauss Fellowship cohort exemplifies the passion and expertise necessary to address the evolving challenges facing our coasts and oceans,” remarked Dr. Jonathan Pennock, Director of the National Sea Grant College Program. “We are confident that their dedication to serving through science will lead to innovative solutions that sustain coastal and marine resources and communities for future generations.”

The Knauss Fellowship is a one-year paid opportunity for current and recent graduates from advanced degree programs to apply their scientific knowledge and experiences to current issues in science, policy, and public administration. Students who are enrolled in or have recently completed master’s, Juris Doctor and Doctor of Philosophy programs with a focus and/or interest in marine and coastal science, policy, or management apply to one of the 33 eligible Sea Grant programs.

The 2025 finalists represent 70 universities across the country—including 10 minority serving institutions—comprising 44 master’s students, 41 Ph.D. candidates and three J.D. candidates. They are geographers, ichthyologists, ecologists, lawyers, environmental managers and more. They represent communities across the nation and are committed to making meaningful contributions to marine policy.

Two Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant finalists have been placed in executive positions—Alexandra Skinner, a master’s student in environmental science at Indiana University will work in the NOAA Office of International Affairs; and Emily Johnson, who is working towards her master’s degree in biology at Loyola University Chicago, will be in the NOAA Research Office of International Activities. Matthew Sheffield, a J.D. candidate at Indiana University, will be placed in a legislative position.

At the recent Sea Grant Week, a national meeting that was held in Savannah, Georgia, several Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) projects were featured as part of a research overview. One of these studies brought middle school-aged children into a University of Illinois Chicago laboratory to help in the quest for new sources of antibiotics. These youth learned about STEM (science-technology-engineering-mathematics) from a new and exciting perspective and their work led to the discovery of a new compound that has shown activity against cancer.

Now, we are committing $890,000 of funding for five new two-year research projects. These studies will inform decision-making for some of the region’s pressing coastal issues including: the prevalence of contaminants (especially PFAS) in southern Lake Michigan waterways; vulnerable shorelines, specifically, the impact of two artificial reefs in nearshore waters along northern Illinois; and planning for a sustainable water supply in the south suburbs of Chicago. Researchers represent the University of Notre Dame, Illinois Institute of Technology, and University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute.

In other funding news, IISG and Northwestern University were awarded $2.48 million from NOAA to support research to develop efficient, scalable, and cost-effective technologies for characterizing and preventing microplastic pollution as well as removing microplastics from aquatic ecosystems.

Furthering aquaculture outreach, the National Sea Grant Office has awarded $750,000 to Great Lakes Sea Grant programs to continue the work of the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative. Project objectives include increasing the public’s aquaculture literacy and co-creating a Great Lakes seafood brand to highlight locally raised seafood.

We have some personnel updates, too. As our new buoy specialist, Les Warren will keep the buoys in tip-top shape, deploying and retrieving them each year and engaging in related outreach. Les splits his time in Purdue’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources engaging in educational activities and supporting aquatic ecology research.

Our new stormwater outreach associate is Madelyn Craft. A recent University of Illinois graduate with a degree in sustainable design and the volunteer coordinator for the Red Oak Rain Garden, Maddy will work closely with the stormwater team, helping to develop, deliver, and evaluate a USDA-funded green infrastructure maintenance curriculum.

Dominique Turney, who serves as our Great Lakes science liaison, has now added fisheries outreach to her IISG duties. She is continuing our longstanding workshops that connect fishers in the greater Chicago area and beyond with the latest Lake Michigan fisheries research and news. The next in-person event will take place on November 6 in Portage, Indiana and the virtual version will be on November 14.

Other upcoming events include:

• The final stop of the Aquaculture Field Day tour focused on avian predator management will take place on October 5 at the Michigan Wholesale Walleye Farm. At this free half-day event, researchers from Kansas State University and Lake Superior State University will share the results of their study evaluating laser and acoustic technologies as bird deterrents.
• The aquatic invasive species team will join IISG educators to host an exhibit booth at the Illinois Science Teaching Association annual conference on October 14 to introduce The Crayfish Curriculum. IISG educators will also lead a session on The Watershed Game, a hands-on team activity that helps students understand community relationships between water quality and land uses.

Finally, I’d like to share a happy ending to the work of one of my previous graduate students. After much delay, Marissa Cubbage, who was co-advised by IISG’s Paris Collingsworth, will share her research results in early October with the audience that matters most in this case, the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians who have a historical and cultural relationship with the fish she studied: lake whitefish and cisco. She will describe the diet and availability of food for these larval fish in beach environments along northern Lake Michigan. 

Educators from Illinois and Indiana gathered this summer along the Chicago River’s Wild Mile for an immersive two-day workshop designed to bring water quality education to life. Hosted by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) and Urban Rivers, the training on July 24 and 25 offered 5−12 grade teachers a unique opportunity to explore the river and its floating gardens, while also equipping them with hands-on tools to integrate these experiences into their classroom.

Educators examined Wild Mile macroinvertebrates, learning how to lead students to explore organisms in local waters.

The educators learned practical skills in water quality monitoring as well as about the ecological importance of the Chicago River. The workshop was capped off with an opportunity to kayak along the river and learn about the Wild Mile’s innovative design. 

“The Chicago River has been an underused resource so it was inspiring to see so many educational organizations represented at this event. It’s a testament to the growing value of the river,” said Sage Rossman, community outreach and programs manager at Urban Rivers. “Education has been central to Urban Rivers’ work and it’s a huge step for us to be able to share our tools with a larger community of leaders.”

Workshop participants were introduced to water monitoring equipment and they tested the Wild Mile waters for a range of parameters.

Teachers were trained to use an all-in-one data collection device − this training provides them access to borrow the equipment through the Limno Loan program so they can bring these experiences directly to their classrooms. The program also offered a pathway for educators to engage their students through hands-on field trips to the Wild Mile.

“One important goal of our workshops is to grow a community of Great Lakes literate educators who can share hands-on learning opportunities with their students,” said Janice Milanovich, an IISG educator. “For all involved, we hope to foster a connection with the Great Lakes and associated freshwater resources like the Chicago River.”

Using clay and native seeds, the educators created seed balls, which they tossed into the river to promote plant growth.

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. 

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and University of Illinois Extension are seeking a visiting extension outreach associate to focus on developing, delivering, and evaluating educational programs related to green stormwater infrastructure.

Responsibilities for the stormwater outreach associate include:

• Advance the development of a green stormwater infrastructure maintenance curriculum, including facilitating the review process.
• Monitor and document green stormwater infrastructure activities and produce, compile and organize digital assets for the curriculum.
• Survey communities, analyze results and conduct interviews with appropriate stakeholders.

A bachelor’s degree in sustainable design, environmental engineering, landscape architecture, urban planning, environmental science, or a related technical discipline is required. We’re also looking for someone with experience in organizing information as well as leading groups of stakeholders or volunteers. 

This full-time, temporary position will be situated on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. To view the complete job description and apply, visit the university Job Board. The closing date is September 3, 2024.

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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. 

As last April wound down and the school year was nearing its final days, 70 fifth graders from McKinley Elementary School in East Chicago, Indiana spent a day in nature learning from a variety of scientists and experts about a range of topics. 

The annual Calumet Stewardship Day took place on April 30, once again at Seidner Dune and Swale in Hammond. This natural area sits along the Grand Calumet River, which has been designated an Area of Concern (AOC) and has been undergoing a cleanup and restoration process through the Great Lakes Legacy Act. 

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and The Nature Conservancy organize the event that helps connect grade school youth to their local environment. They learn about the health of the river and the remediation and restoration efforts of the Grand Calumet River.

“Stewardship Day activities engage youth in environmental education and build support for the long-term protection of natural resources,” said Ashley Belle, IISG Great Lakes AOC specialist, who led the planning of the event along with Jessica Fernandez of The Nature Conservancy.

Over the course of the school day, the students had the opportunity to interact with professionals from a variety of environmental agencies and organizations as they rotated through hands-on activity stations, learning about topics such as dune and swale habitats, fish health in local waters, birding, and macroinvertebrate identification.

Teacher surveys showed that the event stimulated student learning and provided a valuable experience. One teacher commented, “One of my favorite parts of the day was watching my students learn how to use binoculars and identify different types of birds. For some of them, this was their first experience with binoculars.”

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.