News Archive January 2023Jan 10, 2023Illinois RiverWatch Hosting Mussel Film PremiereIllinois RiverWatch will be premiering their film “Biodiversity of Freshwater Mussels: Community Science in Action” along with a short presentation highlighting community science during the next National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s Neighbor Nights event, Jan. 17. November 2022Nov 28, 2022NGRREC Partners with Local CODES ProgramThis year, the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) is partnering with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Community Oriented Digital Engagement Scholars (CODES) to solve key issues in the regionNov 9, 2022New Data Portal Showcases Arkansas Water Quality TrendsTracking nutrient loads in Arkansas just got easier. A new data portal was recently launched on the Great Lakes to Gulf (GLTG) Virtual Observatory that showcases Arkansas water quality trends with a focus on nitrogen and phosphorus loads. Nov 9, 2022NGRREC Interns Exhibit Their Projects The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRRECsm) will highlight the work of its interns and staff during a special November Neighbor Nights event on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.October 2022Oct 28, 2022NGRREC Celebrates 20th AnniversaryArea dignitaries, along with officials from Lewis and Clark Community College and the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠), gathered at the Jerry F. Costello Confluence Field Station, Oct. 27, 2022, to celebrate NGRREC’s 20th anniversary.Oct 19, 2022Volunteers Needed for Fall Tree Planting Events in AltonVolunteers are needed throughout October to help the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRRECsm) the Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois and the City of Alton plant trees in Alton, Illinois.Oct 13, 2022RiverWatch Seeks Winter Volunteers to Study Road Salt ImpactWinter is quickly approaching, and Illinois RiverWatch is hoping to train community members to monitor for chloride levels in local streams to identify areas where salt use is impacting water quality. Oct 10, 2022Direct Benefits of Fire on Prairie EcosystemsOctober through mid-April marks prescribed burn season for the Habitat Strike Team, part of the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC). Oct 5, 2022NGRREC Announces ‘Kids on The River’ Film PremiereJoin the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) for the first screening of “Kids on the River” a film showcasing high school students exploring the Mississippi River watershed. Oct 3, 202220th Anniversary of Water FestivalNine regional fifth-grade classes explored interactive booths focusing on the importance of water during the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠) 20th Annual Water Festival, held Friday, Sept. 30, at the Lewis and Clark Community College’s Godfrey campus.September 2022Sep 22, 2022Experts Discuss Exciting Research at Fall Speaker SeriesJoin Illinois RiverWatch, part of the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRRECsm) for their virtual Fall Speaker Series, starting October 4 and running through early November. Sep 12, 2022It's Official: New Educator at NGRREC TeamEnvironmental Educator Erica Doerr has joined the education team at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRRECsm) and will be responsible for developing earth science curriculum for teachers throughout Illinois, as well as leading community outreach events. She started her new role in early September. Sep 6, 2022New Research Crucial for Dragonfly and Damselfly PopulationsOver the next two years, scientists at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) are investigating dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) throughout Central and Southern Illinois.August 2022Aug 30, 2022Outstanding Biologist Fills a New Role at NGRREC Jenny Mullikin joined the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center staff this month as a new assistant scientist with a focus on wetlands ecology. Aug 24, 2022Learn to Monitor Streams with Illinois RiverWatchIllinois RiverWatch staff are looking for volunteers to help monitor local streams throughout the Metro East region at three events this September. Aug 4, 2022Protect Threatened Mussel Populations, Volunteer TodayFor over a decade, volunteers with the Illinois RiverWatch program, part of the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠), has been monitoring mussel populations in the Upper Sangamon River. July 2022Jul 6, 2022Successful Summer Interns Exhibit Their Projects The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center will highlight the work of its interns and staff during a special July Neighbor Nights event on Tuesday, July 19, 2022.June 2022Jun 27, 2022New Amphibian and Reptile Guide Sparks InterestThe National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s Terrestrial Ecologist John Crawford, along with co-authors Christopher Phillips and Andrew Kuhns, recently published a field guide focusing on Illinois amphibians and reptiles.Jun 21, 2022Valuable Research on Protected Frog Populations Found in Illinois EAST ALTON – The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) is currently in its second year of a treefrog research project taking place in southern Illinois’ bald cypress swamps. Jun 13, 2022Accidental Fire Reignites Land Management Plan for PalisadesThe National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠) staff and land management partners visited the Palisades Nature Preserve near Grafton recently to gain a better understanding of how the Nov. 19, 2021, wildfire affected the preserves’ rare hill prairies.Jun 7, 2022Discover New Actions You Can Take to Support Healthier RiversMississippi River Network (MRN) Policy Director Maisah Khan will be the featured presenter at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s upcoming hybrid Neighbor Nights event, June 21.Jun 2, 2022Mettler-Cherry Fills New Director Role at NGRRECFormer Southwestern Illinois College Dean of Math and Sciences Paige Mettler-Cherry has joined the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC), a division of Lewis and Clark Community College, as the new Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives.May 2022May 16, 2022Possibilities are Blooming in NGRREC’s Education DepartmentSpring brings new possibilities, not only in nature, but also in the education department at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC). May 10, 2022Volunteers Needed for Tree Planting in Alton May 25Volunteers are needed to help the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) and the Three Rivers Project plant trees in Alton on Wednesday, May 25. May 4, 2022Local Students Excel at Spring InternshipBetsy Papin and Jacob Futrell are two local college students currently interning with the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center.May 3, 2022NGRREC Staff Shine at Wildlife Society MeetingThree National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRRECsm) staff members were among the experts featured during the 2022 annual meeting of the Illinois Chapter of The Wildlife Society (ICTWS).April 2022Apr 28, 2022Volunteers Wanted for Tree Planting in AltonVolunteers are needed to help the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRRECsm) and the Three Rivers Project plant trees in Alton on Saturday, May 7.Apr 26, 2022Cutting-edge Microplastic ResearchThe National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRRECsm) team is launching a multi-year microplastics initiative to understand how plastics are affecting our freshwater ecosystems. Apr 20, 2022NGRREC Hosts Free Freshwater Symposium for EducatorsThe National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRRECsm) is hosting a three-day Freshwater Symposium for Earth Science Educators, July 18-20, 2022.Apr 19, 2022Community Leads Scientific Effort to Monitor StreamsResearch from RiverWatch Director and Stream Ecologist Danelle Haake illustrates how community members can be a part of the scientific field and provides new insight on how road salt application affects our local streams. Apr 8, 2022Volunteer at the Wadlow Restoration SiteVolunteers are needed to help remove bush honeysuckle and autumn olive at the Wadlow Restoration Site in Alton, Illinois, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Thursday, April 14. Free lunch and necessary tools will be provided to volunteers.Apr 7, 2022Multiple Film Grants Awarded to NGRRECThe National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s (NGRRECsm) Illinois RiverWatch Network and Education Department were both recently awarded $7,500 grants to produce short films focusing on freshwater science and education. March 2022Mar 18, 2022NGRREC Recruiting Regional Students for Paid Summer InternshipsThe National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠), a division of Lewis and Clark Community College, is offering paid summer internship opportunities to current college students in the greater St. Louis region.Mar 17, 2022The Wildlife Society Coming to Lewis and Clark Community CollegeThe Illinois Chapter of The Wildlife Society is holding its annual meeting, April 10-12, in The Commons, on Lewis and Clark Community College’s Godfrey Campus.Mar 16, 2022NGRREC Research Findings Highlight Strategy to Manage Japanese Hops InvasionNew research findings from local Terrestrial Ecologist Lyle Guyon are changing the game for Japanese hops control and management in large floodplains.Mar 7, 2022Statewide Volunteer Network Helps Shape Stream HealthA series of upcoming training opportunities will prepare the next wave of citizen scientists to help shape stream health across the state of Illinois this spring.Mar 4, 2022Volunteers Needed at Piasa Bird ParkVolunteers are needed to help to remove bush honeysuckle at Piasa Bird Park in Alton, Illinois from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Thursday, March 24. Free lunch and necessary tools will be provided to volunteers.Mar 2, 2022Discover What Makes a River Great at March Neighbor NightsExplore the key elements that determine what makes a river great at the March Neighbor Nights event presented by Media Specialist Jen Young.January 2022Jan 27, 2022Winter Tree Care the Focus of NGRREC’s February Neighbor NightsLearn when, why and how to prune your trees in a virtual February Neighbor Nights event presented by the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠)Jan 10, 2022NGRREC Taking Applications for Expanded Paid Internship ProgramThe National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠), a division of Lewis and Clark Community College, is offering an opportunity for students enrolled in area colleges and universities to apply for paid internships in the 2022 School Year Internship program.Jan 6, 2022January Neighbor Nights Virtual Event Explores Watershed CairnsThe National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠) will kick off 2022 with a virtual Neighbor Nights event, featuring the work of artists Libby Reuter and Joshua Rowan and their Watershed Cairns: Water Marked with Art project.December 2021Dec 9, 2021NGRREC Awarded Swarovski Waterschool GrantThe National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRRECsm), a division of Lewis and Clark Community College, has been awarded a renewal of their grant with Swarovski Waterschool.November 2021Nov 5, 2021Winter Road Salt Impacts Aquatic EcosystemsEvery year, more than 20 million tons of salt is spread on roads across the United StatesNov 4, 2021NGRREC Research Interns Hear the Call of the SwampsEach summer the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC), located in East Alton, offers upper-level undergraduate students from across the nation the opportunity for hands-on experience in the world of ecological research.Nov 3, 2021Celebrate America Recycles Day at Interactive Neighbor NightsThe National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠) will celebrate America Recycles Day with an interactive Neighbor Nights, providing information about recycling and composting.Nov 2, 2021NGRREC Expands Fall Walk and Talk SeriesDue to the success of the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s (NGRRECsm) recent Walk and Talk events, the program will be extended into November.October 2021Oct 5, 2021October Neighbor Nights Will Focus on Grassland BirdsOctober Neighbor Nights at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) will present research findings on grassland birds and how they respond to different management practices.September 2021Sep 27, 2021NGRREC to Hold Fall Native Bulb and Seed SwapThe National Great Rivers Research and Education Center is inviting the public to the Field Station for a fall native bulb and seed swap in October.Sep 23, 2021NGRREC to Offer Field Station Walk and Talks in OctoberMembers 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.Sep 21, 2021Volunteers Needed for Nurdle Patrol at a River Near YouIllinois Riverwatch and the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center are partnering with the Nurdle Patrol to recruit volunteers to clean up plastic waste in local waterways this October.