This story starts with a nursing student named Sara. Adrienne Gulley, my pollution prevention colleague (pictured speaking with a conference attendee), and I met Sara while overseeing the IISG exhibitor booth at the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting. We had been there two days and had already talked to about 1,200 public health professionals and students.
 
Some of the conversations were eye-opening. A few of our booth visitors admitted that they didn’t know that flushing medicine down the toilet was not the way to properly dispose of it. Other interactions were downright refreshing—which brings us back to Sara.
 
Sara and two other students stopped by our table for the pill-shaped USB drives, but they stayed to learn about how to properly dispose of expired and unwanted medication. Then they stayed a little longer to learn how to read ingredient labels to see if their personal care products contain plastic microbeads. They were engaged and polite, just like every other person that stopped to talk with us.
 
But unlike every other person, five minutes after Sara left our table, she came back. And she brought more students with her. Before Adrienne or I even had time to say hello, Sara was explaining what microbeads are, what to look for on the ingredient list (polyethylene or polypropylene), and that microbeads have been found in several species of fish in the Great Lakes.
 
Over the course of the four-day event, we talked to people from at least 23 states as well as Puerto Rico, Uganda, South Africa, and Afghanistan—sharing information and learning some new things ourselves. But Sara is going to stick in my mind for a long time.
 
 
Sara, if you are reading this, if the nursing career doesn’t work out, I think you have a very strong future in education and outreach.
 

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Valentine’s Day is almost here, and we’ve got you covered! Share our valentine with the one who makes your heart buoyant! 💌And catch up on all the latest IISG news at the link in bio.
Join us in welcoming IISG’s new coastal engineering and community resilience specialist, Sarah Peterson! Sarah’s chief responsibility will be to develop a coastal resilience program along the southern Lake Michigan shoreline. Read more about Sarah and her work at the link in bio.
Attention educators! Only 2 days left to apply!Got summer plans? The Shipboard Science Workshop takes place each year on one of the Great Lakes, and 2025 is Lake Michigan’s turn! Take advantage of this opportunity to work alongside scientists and fellow-educators  aboard the EPA R/V Lake Guardian to engage in real-world research and data collection, enhance your skills, and create innovative lessons. 5-12th grade formal and informal educators from all Great Lakes states are invited to apply for this FREE shipboard workshop sponsored by the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office and facilitated by Great Lakes Sea Grant Network educatorsWorkshop dates: July 7-13, 2025Application deadline: Feb. 10.Learn more at the link in bio.
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