EAST ALTON – Join Illinois RiverWatch, part of the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠) for their virtual Fall Speaker Series, starting October 4 and running through early November.

“We hope these speakers will give people an opportunity to learn more about water through a series of online events,” said Danelle Haake, RiverWatch director and stream ecologist. “These presentations are very interactive and participants really enjoy speaking with experts in their field of work.”

Following is a list of dates, times, speakers and topics. All the events will take place on Zoom.

• The Ecological Consequences of Salty Fresh Water: 7 p.m., Oct. 4
  Speakers: Bill Hintz and Bayley Wilmoth
• Can Zebra Mussels Be Controlled in Inland Waterways?: 7 p.m., Oct. 11
  Speaker: Jim Bland
• Bees from Wetlands to Cities: 7 p.m., Oct. 19
  Speaker: Jenny Mullikin, NGRREC Assistant Scientist – Wetland Ecology
• Youth Water Education: Root Cause to Civic Engagement: 7 p.m., Nov. 2
  Speaker: Peggy Doty, Illinois Extension Office

“All of these talks relate to water and include both a science and human dimensions component,” said Hannah Griffis, RiverWatch technician and volunteer coordinator. “We are always looking for community feedback on interesting topics or suggested speakers.”

Those interested can register for these free events until the day of each presentation. Zoom links will be emailed to registrants prior to each event start.

To sign up, visit http://www.ngrrec.org/riverwatch/events/.

If you are interested in a water-related topic that is not currently being talked about, please email riverwatch@lc.edu for consideration.

For more information about the Illinois RiverWatch program visit www.ngrrec.org/RiverWatch or contact Griffis at hgriffis@lc.edu or (618) 468-2781.

National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠)

Founded in 2002 as a collaborative partnership between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Lewis and Clark Community College, NGRREC is dedicated to the study of great river systems and the communities that use them. The center aspires to be a leader in scholarly research, education, and outreach related to the interconnectedness of large rivers, their floodplains, watersheds, and their associated communities.