EAST ALTON – The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) will highlight the work of its interns and staff during a special July Neighbor Nights event on Tuesday, July 19, 2022.  

Rather than viewing a presentation, guests will make their way through the Jerry F. Costello Confluence Field Station to view exhibits and table presentations at their own pace.  

“Our interns have been working hard this summer to gain knowledge and hands-on experiences in research, science and ecology,” Director of Environmental Education Sarah Fisher said. “This Neighbor Nights event is a wonderful way for them to show off their hard work.”  

The event will run from 6-8 p.m., with a free guided public tour of the Field Station beginning at 7:15 p.m.  

This year’s intern class has 14 members – six traditional summer interns and eight Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) interns. They include local students, as well as students from across the country. This summer, five Lewis and Clark Community College (L&C) students are participating in one of the internship programs.  

“This month’s Neighbor Nights will be particularly fascinating as our interns will present detailed research that provides data relevant to our community as well as our daily lives,” Administrative Assistant and REU Program Manger Amy Monroe said. “Neighbor Nights aims to educate and enrich participants on different topics about the ecosystem around the Mississippi River by showcasing the valuable work we do at NGRREC.”  

NGRREC interns represent a number of different colleges and universities, including Lewis and Clark Community College, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Macalester College, Florida Southern College, Vassar and more, studying a variety of fields including environmental science, biology, chemistry, geographical information systems and more. 

NGRREC’s traditional program is a 9-week paid internship managed by an advisor who is responsible for the instruction, supervision, and mentoring of the intern, as well as the design of the summer project. REU interns are supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and their projects focus on a modern integrative approach to studying wetlands using recent technological and theoretical developments with a goal of unifying wetland science across scales. More information is available at www.ngrrec.org/REU .  

Visit www.ngrrec.org/Internship/ to find out more about the internship programs.  

For more information about this event contact Fisher at saafisher@lc.edu or (618) 468-2783.  

National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC ℠ )