Illinois lawn caretakers: Join the natural lawn care discussion!

Posted December 20th, 2019 in Healthy Waters, News
puppy with collar and red leash sits on lawn

Many homeowners are unaware that common lawn care practices can cause harm to their watersheds. For instance, when lawn caretakers use excessive fertilizers or apply them at inappropriate times (such as before a heavy rain), nutrients can run off and contaminate local bodies of water. However, keeping a beautiful and healthy lawn doesn’t have to have negative impacts on water quality. Illinois residents are invited to a join in a conversation about how they care for their lawns, what environmentally-friendly practices they use, and how to maintain healthy lawns while also protecting local watersheds.

In conjunction with University of Illinois Extension, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) is conducting a series of focus group discussions with lawn caretakers across Illinois in January of 2020. Focus groups will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on January 9 in Effingham, January 16 in Rock Island and in Grayslake on January 23. All of these events will be held at the local county Extension Office, and refreshments will be provided.

“We’re excited to get out and talk with people about natural lawn care,” said Sarah Zack, IISG pollution prevention specialist. “We learned a lot from last summer’s statewide survey about what actions people are taking to keep their lawns healthy and what they’d like to learn more about. These focus groups will give us a chance to sit down with people and talk about the results and hear their feedback. It’s important that the public gets to weigh in on our efforts because that ensures that we’re reaching out in a way that’s most helpful to them.”

The results of the focus group discussions will be instrumental in designing future campaigns that are effective for the people of Illinois.

A $30 Amazon e-gift card will be provided as a thank you for participating. The specific meeting address will be provided upon registration. For more information or to register for a focus group, contact Sarah Zack at szack@illinois.edu or 217-300-4076.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a part of University of Illinois Extension and Purdue Extension.

IISG Instagram

Looking for a fun way to teach about marine debris? Check out Me and Debry, which is a whimsical, 30‑minute, audience‑participation play created for @UWiscSeaGrant. It helps students explore what marine debris is, why it matters, and how we can make a difference in the Great Lakes.

The full script (English) and participation scripts (English, Spanish, and Hmong) are free to use, along with marketing materials for performances.

Bring learning to life and start a conversation about litter in our waters!

Check it out at the link in bio.

#TeachingTuesday

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18104492783310070
Looking for a fun way to teach about marine debris? Check out Me and Debry, which is a whimsical, 30‑minute, audience‑participation play created for @UWiscSeaGrant. It helps students explore what marine debris is, why it matters, and how we can make a difference in the Great Lakes.The full script (English) and participation scripts (English, Spanish, and Hmong) are free to use, along with marketing materials for performances.Bring learning to life and start a conversation about litter in our waters!Check it out at the link in bio.#TeachingTuesday

Do you work or live along the Great Lakes coasts? Watch our newly released video series collection, containing several short videos that overview the range of coastal protection options in the Great Lakes, including:

- Natural processes in the Great Lakes
- Hard coastal protection structures and how they interact with/alter natural processes
- Nature-based coastal solutions in the Great Lakes, ranging from green to gray approaches

Find our two new video series at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18075599984541727
Do you work or live along the Great Lakes coasts? Watch our newly released video series collection, containing several short videos that overview the range of coastal protection options in the Great Lakes, including:- Natural processes in the Great Lakes- Hard coastal protection structures and how they interact with/alter natural processes- Nature-based coastal solutions in the Great Lakes, ranging from green to gray approachesFind our two new video series at the link in bio.

Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.

Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral.

Application deadline: June 3, 2026.

To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18136822375511465
Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral. Application deadline: June 3, 2026.To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.