We first introduced you to Alice Denny last year when she worked as an IISG summer intern. Well, we liked her too much to let her go. When her internship ended, Alice became the newest member of our aquatic invasive species (AIS) team, located at the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  
 
As an outreach assistant, Alice works on wide range of projects, including finding new opportunities to connect with recreational water users, aquarium hobbyists, water gardeners, and more. She will spend much of the summer spreading the word about AIS at professional and amateur fishing tournaments. Her message to anglers and boaters will be simple—be sure to remove, drain, and dry after a day on the water.      
 
Prior to her internship with us, Alice worked as a field technician in the Chicago area and conducted research on invasive species in New York state parks. She holds a Bachelor’s in Biology from Hartwick College and is a member of the Illinois Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program.     

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This February marks a major milestone: 30 years of aquatic invasive species outreach by our team! To celebrate, IISG Director, Stuart Carlton, and Strategic Communication Coordinator, Renie Miles, sat down for a Sea Grant Chat with two key figures in IISG’s AIS history: Pat Charlebois, our assistant director and program leader, who spent over two decades leading our prevention efforts, and Katie O’Reilly, who took over that role in 2022. We discussed the evolution of the invasive species issue in the Great Lakes, the shift toward understanding human behavior, and the creative strategies that make this team so effective. Dive into the full interview at the link in bio.
Introducing the Lake Michigan Explorer! Start exploring the varied factors that impact the Great Lakes with our Explorer Series. This searchable database of external resources can help you find hands-on activities that spark curiosity and inspire action. ✨ What’s inside?Lesson plans, fact sheets, and reading materialsEngaging videos and visualizationsEasy-to-use filters by grade level, topic, and time.Perfect for classrooms and informal learning, this resource empowers students to become stewards of the Great Lakes.🔗 in bio for more.
Join is in welcoming our new research and reporting coordinator, Laura Esman, to the team! In her new role, Laura will oversee research competitions and manage IISG’s research portfolio. She will also spearhead IISG data collection and lead the program’s annual reporting process.Esman brings over 30 years of experience in research, project coordination and grant administration. Her most recent positions include managing director of the Indiana Water Resources Research Center, and lab manager and research associate in the Natural Resources Social Science Lab in Purdue’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.Full story at the link in bio.