EAST ALTON – Those curious about how animals move and why animal movement is important are invited to the September Neighbor Night @NGRREC from 5:30-8 p.m. Sept. 5 at the Jerry F. Costello Confluence Field Station, 1 Confluence Way in East Alton, Illinois.

“Understanding how animals move and what influences that movement provides essential information for managing populations and ecosystems,” said Postdoctoral Researcher Carl Cloyed. “Come out to NGRRECSM to learn about a recent research expedition we took to Iceland, where we performed experiments in a ‘natural laboratory’ of geothermally heated streams. You can learn about how temperature affects metabolic rate and snail movement, which in turn affects how quickly snails feed on algae and provides important control on algae growth in these streams.”

Cloyed will give a short presentation at 7 p.m., but guests are invited to explore NGRREC’s facility and visit the classroom exhibit beforehand.  

The classroom will feature information on the different ways scientists monitor animal movement. There will be displays and examples of equipment like fish tagging gear, wildlife cameras, an acoustic detector, traps and radio-transmitters.

“Animals move among different environments for a variety of reasons; some of which elude scientists even today,” said Environmental Technician Rachael Murtaugh. “The ability to track their movements allows us greater insight into their lives and needs to help conserve our planet's incredible biodiversity.”

There will be a tour of the LEED certified building from 6-7 p.m. and visitors are free to come and go as they please.

Founded in 2002 as a collaborative partnership between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Lewis and Clark Community College, The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center 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.

Neighbor Nights @NGRREC takes place on the first Tuesday of every month. To learn more about NGRREC, visit www.ngrrec.org. Those with questions about Neighbor Nights can contact Environmental Educator Allison Rhanor at arhanor@lc.edu.