National Great Rivers Research and Education Center

08/03/2026

This past Friday and Saturday, we had the pleasure of co-hosting our second Project WET Earth Systems: A Great Lakes Perspective teacher training alongside our incredible partners from Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and Dunes Learning Center.

Throughout the two-day workshop, participating educators explored 16 hands-on classroom activities, learned from a guest speaker with the National Park Service’s Great Lakes Research and Education Center, and took their learning outdoors during a field experience at Indiana Dunes State Park. Educators also headed home with activity kits, posters, a Great Lakes puzzle, and plenty of other classroom goodies to help bring these lessons to life for their students.

We are so grateful to our partners, presenters, and participating educators for making this workshop such a meaningful and energizing experience. We cannot wait to see how these teachers use their new resources and knowledge to inspire the next generation of watershed stewards!

07/15/2026

Celebrate Another Summer of Discovery with us! 🌊🔬

Join us as our NSF REU summer interns showcase the exciting research they've been working on throughout the season at the 2026 Intern Research Poster Showcase!

📅 Tuesday, July 28th
🕓 4:30–6:30 PM
📍 Jerry F. Costello Field Station (1, Confluence Way, East Alton, IL)
🎟️ Free & Open to the Public

Explore student research posters and meet the interns behind the projects. This is a great opportunity to see how the next generation of scientists is helping us better understand and protect our rivers, wetlands, and natural resources.

Whether you're a science enthusiast, student, educator, or simply curious about the research happening at NGRREC, we hope you'll join us for an afternoon of learning, conversation, and celebration.

07/07/2026

🌊 Last chance to register! Registration closes tomorrow (July 8th) for the Project WET (Water Education Today) Earth Systems: A Great Lakes Workshop at Indiana Dunes.

Join educators from across the region for two days of hands-on learning (July 31st-August 1st, 2026) as you explore how water connects Earth's systems, with a special focus on the Great Lakes. You'll leave with engaging activities, classroom-ready resources, and new ideas to bring water science to life for your students.

We're proud to partner with our friends at Dunes Learning Center, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant to support this exciting professional development opportunity.

Don't miss out! Register today through the original post below!

Dunes Learning Center, Indiana Department of Natural Resources/Division of Fish & Wildlife, National Great Rivers, and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant have teamed up to offer a two-day, water-themed workshop for educators.

06/10/2026

Join NGRREC & HeartLands Conservancy for a Community Stream Clean-Up! 🧤🌊

As part of 1 Mississippi's River Days of Action, National Great Rivers Research and Education Center is proud to partner with Heartlands Conservancy for a stream clean-up at Rocky Branch in Bethalto on Saturday, June 13th, from 9:00 a.m.–noon.

Every piece of litter removed from our streams helps protect local wildlife, improve water quality, and keep trash from eventually reaching the Mississippi River. This is a great opportunity to make a direct impact in your community while learning more about the science behind protecting our waterways.

In addition to helping clean up the stream, participants will have the chance to learn about:
🤝 The work organizations like NGRREC and HeartLands Conservancy are doing to protect local waterways and improve river health across the region
🔬 NGRREC's ongoing microplastics research
🌎 How microplastics and other pollutants move through our rivers and streams
🏡 Simple actions individuals can take to reduce pollution in their own communities

Whether you're passionate about conservation, looking for a volunteer opportunity, or simply want to help keep our local streams clean, we'd love to have you join us!

📍 Steve Bryant Community Park (4300 Culp Lane), Bethalto, IL
📅 Saturday, June 13, 2026
⏰ 9:00 a.m.–Noon

📝 Registration is encouraged: https://heartlandsconservancy.org/event/stream-cleanup-steve-bryant-park/
Learn more about One Mississippi's River Days of Action or fine another event near you: https://www.mississippiriver.org/river-days-of-action

06/04/2026

Three speakers. Three regions of the Mississippi River. Three stories that will change how you see our nation's greatest river. 🌊

At Voices of the Wetlands: Conservation Stories from the Mississippi River, you'll hear from:

🐟 Codi Sharkey (National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium) on how wetlands help reduce flooding and support habitat restoration efforts in Dubuque, Iowa.

🐸 Jessica Mohlman (National Great Rivers Research and Education Center) on what frog populations can tell us about wetland health and how community scientists are helping monitor these critical ecosystems near St. Louis.

🌾 Victoria Bradford Styrbicki (A House Unbuilt) on a Louisiana wetland home to the threatened Black Rail and the communities witnessing its potential loss to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) development.

From the Upper Mississippi to the Gulf Coast, these stories highlight the challenges, successes, and people working to protect wetlands across the River's length.

This webinar is part of One Mississippi's River Days of Action (June 1st–15th), a two-week celebration connecting people across the country to the Mississippi River through education, conservation, advocacy, and community action.

Wetlands are vital. So are the voices advocating for them. Come hear their stories.

Register Here ➡ https://secure.everyaction.com/Ptbo8TpMDUepJVcvZAgyog2

Learn more and find additional events ➡ MississippiRiver.org/river-days-of-action

1 Mississippi

06/02/2026

Happy National Mississippi River Day! 🌊

Few natural features shape our nation quite like the Mississippi River.

Flowing more than 2,300 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River and its watershed touch the lives of millions of people across 31 states and two Canadian provinces. Its waters drain nearly 40% of the continental United States, connecting farms, forests, wetlands, cities, and communities through one vast and interconnected system.

The river provides drinking water, supports agriculture and industry, serves as a vital transportation corridor, and creates habitat for countless species of fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. For generations, it has shaped our history, culture, economy, and identity.

Here at NGRREC, we are reminded every day that what happens in one part of a watershed can influence ecosystems and communities hundreds of miles away. That's why our mission focuses on advancing the science, education, and stewardship needed to better understand and protect our Great Rivers. Through research, environmental education, community science, and outreach, we help connect people to the rivers that connect all of us.

With our field station located in the heart of the Great Rivers confluence, where the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois Rivers meet, we have a front-row seat to one of the most important river systems on Earth. We see firsthand the power of these waters to support wildlife, sustain communities, and inspire discovery.

Today, we celebrate not only the Mississippi River itself, but the countless people working to study, protect, and care for it. Because whether you live along its banks or hundreds of miles from its channel, you are connected to the Mississippi River.

🌎 One river. Millions of people. Countless stories. An immeasurable impact.

Learn more: https://www.mississippiriver.org/national-mississippi-river-day

1 Mississippi

05/26/2026

Calling all educators! 🐢🐍🐸🦎

Now that school is out for the summer, why not spend a day outdoors learning alongside scientists and fellow educators?

Join National Great Rivers through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources ENTICE program for a hands-on professional development workshop exploring Illinois’ incredible native herpetofauna! Participants will learn alongside researchers and educators through field experiences including wetland sampling, frog call identification, and radio telemetry.

📍 Jerry F. Costello Field Station, East Alton, IL
📅 Saturday, June 6th, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
💲 $10 registration

Participants will also receive supplemental classroom resources and Professional Development Hours. Whether you teach formal or informal education, this is a great opportunity to connect students with real-world conservation science while getting outside and exploring local wetlands yourself!

Register today! 🐸 https://www.enticeworkshops.com/Workshops/Details/176

05/21/2026

Spring has sprung and our roof is in bloom! Come enjoy the flowers and beautiful view of the river!! Our roof is open to the public and handicap accessible :-)

05/18/2026

We’re helping spread the word about an upcoming community conversation on local water issues in the Metro East region. 💧

Join the Metro East Community Water Justice Forum to hear from community leaders and organizations working on issues related to water infrastructure, affordability, flooding, and environmental justice.

📅 Wednesday, June 3rd
⏰ 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 SIUE East St. Louis Higher Education Campus
Building D, Room 1007
601 James R. Thompson Blvd.

Free water pitchers will be available while supplies last!

Hosted by: Equity Legal Services and The Illinois Environmental Council (IEC).

Register here: https://act.ilenviro.org/a/metro-east-water-justice

04/23/2026

🔬Field Station Faces: The People Behind the Science
🐦Meet Amy Janik, Research Specialist

Amy is a Research Specialist at NGRREC. She leads fieldwork focused on birds, dragonflies, and damselflies and supports projects across the wildlife ecology lab. Her work takes her from stream surveys for Odonates (dragonflies & damselflies) to cypress swamps for Bird-voiced Treefrogs. She values the variety and the chance to work across different species and habitats. Amy is driven by the opportunity to protect species and the habitats they rely on.

🌿A moment that stuck:
During her first field season at NGRREC, Amy was standing at a stream site when she was suddenly surrounded by over 100 Ebony Jewelwings. These damselflies, with their iridescent blue bodies and dark wings, moved gracefully all around her. The moment deepened her excitement for studying dragonflies and damselflies.

🦟Challenges & rewards:
The most challenging part of her work is dealing with ticks and poison ivy.
The most rewarding part is sharing research with the public and helping people connect with the wildlife in their own communities.

🌎A path that came together:
Amy’s path began during a study abroad experience in Ecuador with the Ceiba Foundation. Being surrounded by such incredible biodiversity opened her eyes to how much there is to learn about the natural world and sparked her interest in birds and insects.

☕️Quick facts:
• Coffee or tea? Tea
• Favorite field snack? String cheese
• Outside of work? Reading, biking, traveling with her husband, and watching Parks and Recreation

We are grateful to have Amy on our team and for the work she does to study and protect local wildlife!