Spring brings a program review as well as education and outreach opportunities

Posted March 27th, 2025 in Aquatic Invasive Species, Director's Blog, Featured, K-12 Education, Program, Stormwater & Green Infrastructure
Spring growth of new plants coming up amongst last year's dead leaves.

This May 5-8, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) will be reviewed by a team convened by the National Sea Grand College Program who will assess our work from 2018−2023. These review visits play a central role in evaluating Sea Grant programs in terms of management and organization, performance, engagement, and collaborative activities.

We are looking forward to sharing our stories with the review team and you are invited to participate by emailing your comments about IISG to oar.sg-feedback@noaa.gov by April 27, 2025.

While the review is looking at recent history, in terms of moving forward we have been growing the IISG staff. Not one, but two new coastal resilience specialists have joined the team.

Hillary Glandon, with a background in biology is the program’s new coastal ecosystem and community resilience specialist. She is assessing coastal change and will provide actionable solutions for communities along the Great Lakes shorelines. Hillary’s position at IISG is in partnership with the Illinois Natural History Survey in the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute.

Sarah Peterson is the program’s new coastal engineering and community resilience specialist. Sarah aims to enhance coastal hazard preparedness and resilience in communities along the Indiana and Illinois shores of Lake Michigan through collaboration, applied research, technical guidance, education, and outreach. Peterson recently earned a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

We also have a new communication coordinator. Natty Morrison is now managing our communication program, including developing content and managing the delivery of communication products and programs. Natty brings over a decade of experience in journalism, marketing, and content strategy from his work with in-house marketing teams and creative agencies. 

With spring upon us, our buoys will soon be back in the nearshore waters of southern Lake Michigan, providing real-time data on lake and weather conditions for recreationists as well as the National Weather Service.

Spring also brings a round of educational opportunities for us to share with residents, educators, and others. Some examples:

  • Our aquatic invasive species and education teams are hosting a one-day, in-person professional development workshop at the Indiana Dunes National Park on April 15 to train educators on how to use our new Great Lakes Crayfish Curriculum.
  • On April 22, the Red Oak Rain Garden team will be discussing gardening tips and tricks in a talk titled Creating Resilient Landscapes: Rain Gardens at the public library in Champaign, Illinois.
  • Sponsored by the Center for Great Lakes Literacy, the Great Lakes Bioblitz will be ongoing from April 22 to May 19 throughout the region. This is an opportunity to take part in observing and recording as many different species as possible in your watershed during this timeframe.

IISG Instagram

Find us at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, March 27–29! We’re linking Subnautica with Great Lakes science through fun, hands‑on activities about food webs, invasive species, and aquaponics.

Come geek out with us!

🔗 in bio for event info

60 0
Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18072583901167383
Find us at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, March 27–29! We’re linking Subnautica with Great Lakes science through fun, hands‑on activities about food webs, invasive species, and aquaponics.Come geek out with us! 🔗 in bio for event info

Coastal protection is not limited to concrete, rocks, and steel. Coastal protection solutions exist on a spectrum, ranging from softer “green” solutions to harder “gray” structures.

Nature-based coastal solutions fall between green and gray techniques, providing multiple benefits to people and habitats.

Our three-part video series, Nature-Based Coastal Solutions in the Great Lakes, is now available to watch. Learn how nature-based coastal solutions, including nature-driven and hybrid approaches, can protect shorelines while supporting ecosystems and communities.

Watch the 3-part video series at the link in bio.

(Photo credit: Liz Spitzer, Illinois State Geological Survey, Coastal Research Group)

13 0
Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17873389053437520
Coastal protection is not limited to concrete, rocks, and steel. Coastal protection solutions exist on a spectrum, ranging from softer “green” solutions to harder “gray” structures.Nature-based coastal solutions fall between green and gray techniques, providing multiple benefits to people and habitats.Our three-part video series, Nature-Based Coastal Solutions in the Great Lakes, is now available to watch. Learn how nature-based coastal solutions, including nature-driven and hybrid approaches, can protect shorelines while supporting ecosystems and communities.Watch the 3-part video series at the link in bio.(Photo credit: Liz Spitzer, Illinois State Geological Survey, Coastal Research Group)

Managers and researchers can be faced with a need to classify the risk of new crayfish invaders. Rapid assessment tools, such as the Science-based Tools for Assessing Invasion Risk (STAIR), can assist in this process by providing a streamlined framework for analysis and decision-making.

Join us for an ICC webinar with John Bieber from Loyola University Chicago to learn how rapid assessment tools are used to classify invasive species risk and how STAIR can support invasive crayfish management.

Learn more at the link in bio.

16 0
Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17849711064650127
Managers and researchers can be faced with a need to classify the risk of new crayfish invaders. Rapid assessment tools, such as the Science-based Tools for Assessing Invasion Risk (STAIR), can assist in this process by providing a streamlined framework for analysis and decision-making.Join us for an ICC webinar with John Bieber from Loyola University Chicago to learn how rapid assessment tools are used to classify invasive species risk and how STAIR can support invasive crayfish management.Learn more at the link in bio.