Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s annual magazine.

This issue highlights:

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

Quality of place involves creating public space environments that support individuals’ ability to thrive. Public spaces are focal points for all communities. How communities plan for, use, and maintain public spaces is essential.

This publication is available through Purdue University Extension’s Education Store.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s annual magazine.

This issue highlights:

• Green infrastructure helps communities—large and small—be ready for the future
• With a Hydrolab, students study their own environment
• Study finds PFAS in all tested Lake Michigan sportfish and their prey
• Aquaponics offers high schoolers a hands-on way to learn science, math, and more

A rain garden is a green infrastructure project that can improve the quality of stormwater, minimize pollution, and enhance biodiversity and pollinator habitat. Purdue, Iowa State and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant researchers explain how to site, size, design, install and maintain a rain garden, and provide advice on plant selection, too. Document is available for download in the Purdue Extension Ed-Store.

Climate change is spotlighting the importance of managing water resources. Building on previous work (ID-524-W, ID-520-W, ID-519-W), in this publication the authors discuss how the One Water approach can benefit urban communities.

This file can be downloaded from the Purdue Extension Ed Store at: https://edustore.purdue.edu/id-525-w.html

Energy-intensive development practices contribute to increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which are leading to shifting climate patterns.

This document is available through the Purdue University Extension Education Store at: https://edustore.purdue.edu/id-524-w.html

This brochure is a guide to the characteristics and benefits of selected Illinois spring ephemerals to help home gardeners choose plants appropriate for site-specific conditions.

Alternative Version

A screen-reader friendly version is available at: https://iiseagrant.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Native-Spring-Ephemerals-ADA-Accessible-Version.pdf

En Español

Plantas Nativas Efímeras de Primavera en español está aquí.
La publicación para un lector de pantalla está disponible aquí.

Anyone who has a home with a yard can help protect and improve water quality. This publication offers practical advice about reducing impervious surfaces, select proper landscape plants, effective management of lawns, installing rain barrels and rain gardens, and proper care of septic systems.

Publication is available through the Purdue Extension EduStore at: https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?Item_Number=ID-523-W.

The Helm is a collection of recent IISG success stories, describing some of our research, outreach, and education efforts to address coastal and Great Lakes issues in Illinois and Indiana.