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

When participating in a crayfish participatory science activity, be sure to snap plenty of photos of any crayfish you catch or observe. Not only is it a great way to capture the fun and excitement of the day, but it also helps document the species present. To ensure accurate identification by scientists, it’s important to provide clear photos from multiple angles. Dorsal (top), lateral (side), and ventral (underside) views of the crayfish should always be photographed.

To learn more about the specific features to highlight in your photos visit the link in bio or
InvasiveCrayfish.org/Management/#Community

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18519504694041949
When participating in a crayfish participatory science activity, be sure to snap plenty of photos of any crayfish you catch or observe. Not only is it a great way to capture the fun and excitement of the day, but it also helps document the species present. To ensure accurate identification by scientists, it’s important to provide clear photos from multiple angles. Dorsal (top), lateral (side), and ventral (underside) views of the crayfish should always be photographed.To learn more about the specific features to highlight in your photos visit the link in bio or InvasiveCrayfish.org/Management/#Community

Who says “Back to School” means back indoors? While the weather is still warm, take your students on an outdoor science adventure by exploring crayfish in your local waterways.

The Invasive Crayfish Collaborative invites grades 2-12 educators to take part in a hands-on participatory science activity. By catching, identifying, and reporting crayfish species in your area, students contribute valuable data that helps scientists better understand where native and invasive crayfish live.

Check out what other educators have found and get involved: inaturalist.org/projects/great-lakes-crayfish

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17949007619874652
Who says “Back to School” means back indoors? While the weather is still warm, take your students on an outdoor science adventure by exploring crayfish in your local waterways.The Invasive Crayfish Collaborative invites grades 2-12 educators to take part in a hands-on participatory science activity. By catching, identifying, and reporting crayfish species in your area, students contribute valuable data that helps scientists better understand where native and invasive crayfish live.Check out what other educators have found and get involved: inaturalist.org/projects/great-lakes-crayfish

Come round up some rusty crayfish and help remove this #invasivespecies from the Fox River at the 7th Annual Rusty Rodeo. Join us at this FREE event and help collect, identify, and remove rusty crayfish from the river using aquatic nets and buckets. Prizes are given to the participant who collects the most, the largest, and the smallest rusty crayfish. Learn more about native and invasive aquatic species at educational pop-
up exhibits.

Participants will need to provide their own supplies. We suggest bringing an aquatic net, a bucket, and clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. This is a partnership program with: Forest Preserve District of Kane County, St. Charles Parks & Recreation Department, Fox Valley Park District, and Friends of the Fox River. No registration required.

More info: https://kaneforest.com/upload/2025RustyRodeoFull-pageFlyer.pdf

#CrayWeek #Crayfish #InvasiveSpecies #RustyCrayfish #FoxRive

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18019096961738059
Come round up some rusty crayfish and help remove this #invasivespecies from the Fox River at the 7th Annual Rusty Rodeo. Join us at this FREE event and help collect, identify, and remove rusty crayfish from the river using aquatic nets and buckets. Prizes are given to the participant who collects the most, the largest, and the smallest rusty crayfish. Learn more about native and invasive aquatic species at educational pop-up exhibits.Participants will need to provide their own supplies. We suggest bringing an aquatic net, a bucket, and clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. This is a partnership program with: Forest Preserve District of Kane County, St. Charles Parks & Recreation Department, Fox Valley Park District, and Friends of the Fox River. No registration required.More info: https://kaneforest.com/upload/2025RustyRodeoFull-pageFlyer.pdf#CrayWeek #Crayfish #InvasiveSpecies #RustyCrayfish #FoxRive
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