Victoria Figueroa is a summer intern with IISG. She is on the University of Illinois campus, working with Eliana Brown, stormwater specialist. She will be engaged in raising awareness about the benefits and beauty of rain gardens.
Victoria Figueroa is a summer intern with IISG. She is on the University of Illinois campus, working with Eliana Brown, stormwater specialist. She will be engaged in raising awareness about the benefits and beauty of rain gardens.
Last month, the U.S. EPA awarded University of Illinois at Chicago and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign first and second prizes in their Campus RainWorks Challenge. The national competition recognizes student-led green infrastructure plans and projects to manage stormwater on campus. Eliana Brown, has been following the UIUC plan from the beginning.
The first time I heard that landscapes could be designed to improve water quality, it was a revelation. I knew about the highly-effective bioremediation treatment cells at industrial facilities. But, the fact that the landscapes we walk through in our daily lives could have that power was exciting. What came to be known as “green infrastructure” is an elegant blend of landscape architecture and civil engineering that places of higher learning should embrace.
Stormwater management in Indiana is getting a shot in the arm next month with the launch of the Rainscaping Education Program.
A collaboration between Purdue Extension, IISG, and others, the program provides how-to information and resources on landscape design and management practices that help prevent polluted stormwater from reaching local waterways. Practices are appropriate for both residential gardens and small-scale public spaces, including schools and community centers.
It all starts April 14 with the first in a series of workshops focused on rain gardens. Over the course of five three-hour sessions, participants will visit and discuss existing rain gardens in the community and learn how to design, construct, and maintain one with a focus on community education. They will also get a chance to test their knowledge by collaborating on a demonstration rain garden with community partners.
The Rainscaping Education Program is open to Purdue Master Gardeners, personnel at conservation organizations, stormwater professionals, and landscape professionals and consultants. For more information and to learn how to register, visit the program website.
***Photo: The plants and soil in rain gardens help absorb stormwater and filter out pollutants. Courtesy of the Champaign-Urbana Residents for Raingardens and BioSwales.
In a world of streets, parking lots, and sidewalks, rain gardens can be a place for stormwater to go besides flowing into sewers and ultimately, nearby lakes and rivers. As it flows towards waterbodies, rainwater picks up pollutants like pesticides and fertilizers along the way. Precipitation that is absorbed into rain gardens recharges groundwater 30 percent more than even that of a typical lawn.
The Southern Lake Michigan Rain Garden Manual is a how-to for homeowners, landscape architects, city planners, and anyone interested in creating a garden to “absorb the storm.” This booklet is chock full of information–from choosing a location to designing and installing a rain garden to care and maintenance. You can find a plant list, including those suited for shade and clay soils, and sample garden plans.
This publication is adapted from the Vermont Rain Garden Manual for the southern Lake Michigan region. The manual was developed through Lawn to Lake, which is a collaborative program to protect water resources in the Great Lakes region by promoting healthy lawn and landscape practices.
**The Red Oak Rain Garden at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The City of Chicago is funding its first projects under the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Strategy, incorporating green water management principles and practices into current and upcoming city projects.
“As part of the Mayor’s Green Stormwater Infrastructure Strategy, which is one of the largest voluntary investments in this type of infrastructure by an American City, DWM has worked with City agencies to identify opportunities to incorporate green infrastructure into existing and ongoing capital projects. For 2014, DWM has identified 39 such projects, which include four schoolyard projects, five complete streets projects and 30 traffic calming projects. In sum, these 39 projects will receive $6.1 million in funding from DWM and will leverage nearly $18 million in additional funding from Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) and other partners…Working with CPS and MWRD, DWM will provide funding to the Space to Grow program, an initiative by Openlands and Healthy Schools Campaign to convert public school asphalt schoolyards into green playgrounds. Donald Morrill Math & Science Elementary School, Virgil Grissom Elementary School, George Leland Elementary School and Theophilus Schmid Elementary School are currently in the design phase, with construction anticipated to begin this summer. These projects will contain several green infrastructure components, including rain gardens, bioswales and permeable pavement to help absorb rainfall.”
“We had a fun and energetic workshop with teachers and principals in the Blue Island School District. The workshop focused on water quality and drew on three major initiatives within Sea Grant: Lawn to Lake, the Great Lakes Field Experiences for Watershed Educators (B-WET), and Increasing Citizen Involvement and Great Lakes Literacy (Center for Great Lakes Literacy).
We began with the basic definition and ecology of watersheds, then moved to an exploration of watershed and water quality issues brought on by urbanization, landscaping practices, and waste disposal. Teachers learned basic ecology that they can teach in their classrooms. We identified point- and non-point sources of pollution and talked about available solutions for individuals and communities to adopt.
The watershed model was a big hit. We used a three-dimensional model of a watershed, with rivers and lakes, houses, farms, factories, water treatment facilities and other developments, to see how water and pollutants move through the community. Teachers will be able to borrow this model for use in their classes, helping students understand the connection between people, land use, and water. But we didn’t just look at problems. The model also let us see how natural lawn care, rain gardens, rain barrels, permeable pavement, and other practices can help prevent pollution and reduce runoff.
We showcased many of the program’s Great Lakes curricula – Fresh and Salt, Greatest of the Great Lakes, and Sensible Disposal of Unwanted Medicines. Teachers broke into groups to experience some of these classroom activities and share how they might incorporate them in their lessons. They also learned how the Great Lakes Literacy Principles will be a great way to introduce current Great Lakes issues to their students.
How Do You Track a Fish in a Great Lake?
Are your students curious about how scientists track fish underwater? In this Students Ask Scientists session, discover how researchers use acoustic telemetry to track fish like yellow perch in Lake Michigan.
You will meet Anna Hill, a master’s student at Purdue University, as she shares her career journey studying marine and freshwater systems.
📅 Date: November 6, 2025
🕚 Time: 11:00 AM–12:00 PM CT
🎯 Audience: Middle school students & up + educators
💻 Location: Zoom (Pre-registration required)
Learn more and register at the link in bio.
#TeachingTuesday
#StudentsAskScientists
#LakeMichigan
Join us at Illinois Beach State Park for Fall Nature Fest, a free, family-friendly event featuring guided hikes, hands-on activities, and interactive exhibits for all ages. Due to the potential for inclement weather, the fun is moving inside the Nature Center.
So, stop by, stay dry, and meet specialists from the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant as you explore interactive exhibits that celebrate Illinois’ natural heritage and the beauty of fall along Lake Michigan. We will be hosting the Great Plankton Race, which is a hands-on challenge where you’ll design your own plankton model and race it against others to test your creativity and engineering skills!
When: Saturday, October 18th, 10 AM to 2 PM.
Where: The Nature Center at Illinois Beach State Park.
Register today to receive event updates at the link in bio.
The Center for Great Lakes Literacy has launched a beautifully redesigned website. The star of the show is the Resource Library!
Whether you`re teaching in a classroom, leading a community program, or just passionate about the Great Lakes, the new hub makes it easier than ever to find lesson plans, activities, videos, and stewardship ideas tailored to your needs.
🔗 Visit the link in bio to dive in!
#TeachingTuesday
This summer, 15 Great Lakes educators swapped lesson plans for life jackets as they boarded the Lake Guardian, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s research vessel, and set sail on Lake Michigan. Through the Shipboard Science Immersion program, 5–12 grade formal and non-formal educators worked side by side with Great Lakes scientists for a week—an experience they say will ripple back to their classrooms for years to come.
Read more at the link in bio.