EAST ALTON, IL – Members of the public will have the opportunity to learn about the environment and tour the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s Field Station on three separate dates in October.

Each Walk and Talk will include a tour of the grounds and feature an educational discussion highlighting an environmental topic.

Each topic will include two walks at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The programs are suitable for all ages, from children to adults.

“We want to showcase different topics that focus on the nature found at the Field Station and in our region,” Environmental Educator Jen Young said. “We want to create programming the community is excited for and we look forward to increasing the number of our community education events.”

The October schedule is as follows:

• Oct. 6 – 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Wildflowers Walk
• Oct. 20 – 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Trees Walk
• Oct. 27 – 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Bat Talk, in honor of “Bat Week”

Walk and Talks are free and open to the public.

In accordance with Illinois State mandate, all visitors to the Field Station are required to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines, regardless of vaccination status.

For more information, contact Young at (618) 468-2785 or jenryoung@lc.edu. Follow NGRREC’s Facebook page for these and other community events.

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, 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.