2009-2010 Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement

Project Award: The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center

The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (Center or NGRREC) was incepted in 2001 through formation of a unique partnership between the University of Illinois’ College of ACES, Lewis and Clark Community College, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois Natural History Survey. The mission of NGRREC is to advance the understanding of the great rivers, their floodplains and watersheds for the purpose of sustaining the plant, animal and human communities that depend upon them.  This partnership was given formal approval by the University of Illinois Board Of Trustees in 2002. Since 2002, NGRREC has developed programs involving a myriad of partner institutions, engaged hundreds of volunteers, thousands of middle and high school students, and over 150 college students.

The physical home of NGRREC is in Alton, Illinois – between the confluence of the Illinois and Missouri rivers with the Mississippi River. Initially focusing on program and staff development, in 2006, the Center turned to design, funding, and construction of a research and education center (confluence field station - CFS) to support and expand its aquatic and terrestrial programs. Receiving funding of over $23 million, completion of the 30,000 sq ft CFS along the banks of the Mississippi is expected in early 2010 and will allow NGRREC to increase the number of Ph.D. level scientists working as NGRREC affiliates.  The CFS is expected to be a gold or platinum LEED certified and will be one of the most environmentally advanced facilities in the state, boasting numerous sustainable design elements such as on site water treatment, wind/hydrokinetic power, solar lighting/heat, and a green roof.

Sustained engagement in working with the public and/or external organizations. The Center’s staff partners with, and provides outreach to, a host of various organizations including: US Army Corps of Engineers; Upper Mississippi River Forestry Partnership; USDA FS State and Private Forestry; US Fish and Wildlife Service; The Nature Conservancy; Missouri Department of Conservation, USDA NRCS, Ducks Unlimited; Illinois River Coordinating Council; American Waters; Meeting of the Rivers Foundation; Sierra Club; Prairie Rivers Network; Madison County Planning and Development; Alton Convention and Visitors Bureau; The Audubon Society; Southern University at Baton Rouge; Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; Bradley University; McCullough Heritage Foundation; Alton High School and middle schools; St. Louis University; Loyola University; Augustana University, Western Illinois University; Truman State University, University of Missouri; Notre Dame University; Illinois College; and Illinois State University.

Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities. The Center is home of the Illinois RiverWatch Network. This program trains citizen volunteers in basic stream and river monitoring techniques. The citizens then monitor stream quality based on a protocol consistent across the State. The information is compiled in a database and used to monitor stream quality throughout Illinois. A new program being developed within the RiverWatch Network is the RiverWatch Discovery Program, geared toward students and teachers of K-8.

The CFS will demonstrate how development and environmental concerns can go hand-in-hand and will serve as a model of green construction, providing insights into agribusiness and tourism in Illinois, and the environmental and economic impact of rivers to the state, nation and the globe.

Documented excellence in extending University knowledge. The Center sponsors public symposia on river-related issues.  Seven symposia have been hosted to date, bringing together scholars and other interested parties from throughout the United States to share research and collaborate on solving complex river issues.  The Center also supports research by its own scientists and staff, including collaborative research with scientists from other institutions, and has provided seed grants to scientists from universities and research institutions throughout the state. In addition to the education component at the Center, outreach activities are prevalent. NGRREC employs two environmental educators who develop comprehensive education and outreach programs that target audiences ranging from K-12 students and teachers to local citizens and constituency groups. NGRREC and TNC hosted a technical group from the Magdalena River in Colombia.

Evidence of the impact on the community served

Research Community – 27 journal articles based on work supported wholly or in part by the Center. Madison County – storm water development plan. NGRREC student interns from the past three years have contributed to assisting Madison County Planning and Development with its storm water plans and a recent NGRREC intern was offered a permanent placement. US Army Corps of Engineers – NGRREC benefits from its strong relationship with the Corps, who provided the land that the CFS is being constructed near the Melvin Price Locks and Dam. NGRREC serves as a scientific resource for the Corps, as well as performing monitoring and research. Piasa Harbor - Development plans are underway to create a research/outreach "hub" for NGRREC and/or partner organizations at Piasa Harbor. Alton/Godfrey – Each spring thirty-five teachers receive $500 for equipment/materials for their representative schools by attending a teacher-training workshop prior to the annual water festival. Teachers and students are then given an opportunity to apply what they have learned in an outdoor setting on the grounds of Lewis and Clark Community College. Other special community-based programs include the annual Wings of Spring Confluence Birding Festival held at the Corps’ Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary and the Annual Water Festival held on site at the Lewis and Clark Community College campus. The Palisades Nature Preserve – Through a partnership with the Great Rivers Land Trust, LCCC and NGRREC were instrumental in the acquisition and protection of over 430 acres of unique river bluff habitat located near Grafton, IL. Cooperatively managed by LCCC/NGRREC and GRLT, this land is now enrolled in the Illinois Nature Preserves System and will offer further opportunities for environmental education and outreach. Meeting of the Rivers Foundation – NGRREC staffs this foundation, which oversees the educational displays in the Meeting of the Rivers Museum staffed by volunteers and the Corps.

Evidence Of Impact On Scholarly, Instruction, And Curriculum Development, Or Evidence Of National Significance In The Field Or Community

The education portion of the program includes internships, research projects, student symposia, and collaborative partnerships between community and four-year colleges. Internship programs have been providing experiential learning opportunities for the past seven years with 153 students participating from 2003 to 2009. This year’s program "Expanding Horizons" supported 26 students from 14 institutions in Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana, and Texas. The scope of the program has expanded for the first time outside of Illinois to include Michigan, Mississippi and Louisiana. Other locations within the state included: Alton-Godfrey, Carbondale, Champaign-Urbana, Edwardsville, Havana, Kampsville, Peoria, Springfield, Sullivan and Zion.

In August 2009 NGRREC and TNC co-hosted "Visions of a Sustainable Mississippi River: The Confluence of Ecological Economic and Cultural Values."  Presentations and workshops addressed four topics critical to sustainable management of the Mississippi River.  The symposium concluded with presentation of findings and recommendations from the workshops to high level agency representatives and legislators at the State and National levels.  A summary of the findings, hosted by US Congressman Jerry Costello, is being formulated and will be posted to the newly developed NGRREC website.

Participation from multiple stakeholders

At the international level, two NGRREC scientists joined a technical delegation supported by TNC, NGRREC, and the U.S. Geological Survey to exchange information and methodologies with Chinese counterparts who work on the Yangtze River.  Following their visit to China in 2008, the U.S. partners, including NGRREC, hosted a visit to the Mississippi River by Chinese scientists.

At the State level, NGRREC worked with TNC, Ducks Unlimited, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service co-presenting and co-sponsoring a Symposium in 2006 entitled "Illinois' Cache River: Advancing the Restoration of an Internationally Significant Wetland Ecosystem." NGRREC, TNC, and the Wetlands Initiative recently submitted a major proposal to reduce nutrient loading of streams and rivers using constructed wetlands in the Illinois River Basin.  The McKnight Foundation provided $50,000 in funding for the NGRREC RiverWatch program each year in 2007 and 2008.