Illinois River Biological Station Public Outreach Activities
One of our goals at the IRBS is to share the research being conducted here with the public. We also want to get people interested and excited about our freshwater ecosystems! We reach these goals in numerous ways.
Staff at the IRBS are consistently in the public eye representing the Illinois Natural History Survey and the partners we collaborate with. We are approached regularly while in the field (from the rivers to the woods) and around town at boat ramps or gas stations by people asking about everything from fish to ducks or deer. In addition, we have granted countless requests to host or assist with other public outreach events. We have worked with grade school groups, high school classes, university classes, other professional agencies, visiting scientists and all types of media groups including magazines, TV shows, documentaries, radio broadcasts, newspapers and public television.
20+ years of public outreach by dozens of current and former staff members is very difficult to capture in a concise format. We are attempting to compile a complete listing of all outreach events, but for now we try to capture some of the highlights and the scope of different groups that have passed through IRBS the past.
Selected Outreach Events
2015
OUTREACH EVENTS
Tazewell County Health Department's Environmental Education Day. October, 2015
Menard County Ag Discovery Days. September, 2015
Sheels' Fall Hunting Classic. September, 2015
TOT Time! Dickson Mounds Museum. July, 2015
OTHER CONSTITUENTS
Western Illinois University Restoration Ecology class. September, 2015
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Fisheries Techniques class. September, 2015
Jessica Walsh, Great Lakes Media. August, 2015
Mason County 4-H Natural Resources SPIN Club. April, 2015
2014
MEDIA GROUPS
BBC's "Nature's Weirdest Events". September, 2014
WhistleStop TV (Canadian Broadcast TV). June, 2014
Cristian Dimitrius of GloboTV, Brazil. July, 2014
OUTREACH EVENTS
National Wildlife Refuge Week Extravaganza, Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge. October, 2014
Emiquon Nature Adventure. June, 2014
Earth Week, Port Byron Elementary School. April, 2014.
Mason County Envirothon. March, 2014
OTHER CONSTITUENTS
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Icthyology class. September, 2014
Chinese Investment group focused on Asian carp processing plant in Havana, IL. July, 2014
TOT Time! Dickson Mounds Museum. July, 2014.
Havana Nature Center Presentations. May-June, 2014
2013
MEDIA GROUPS
Summer Nettles, Northwestern University Department of Journalism. November, 2013
Canadian Discovery Channel
OUTREACH EVENTS
Dickson Mounds Museum Eagle Days Festival.
Mason County Soil and Water Conservation District Envirothon. March 2013
Mason County Soil and Water Conservation Districts Discovery Days
OTHER CONSTITUENTS
Delegation of Chinese Engineers, China Three Gorges Corporation. December, 2013
Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future (LEAF) internship proram
Spoon River Community College Restoration Ecology Class
2012
MEDIA GROUPS
BBC and Red Rock Films. August, 2012
Associated Press, June, 2012
Eyewitness News KSTP.TV St Paul Minnesota. April, 2012
Chicago Tribune March, 2012
OTHER CONSTITUENTS
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police Office Illinois River Training Field Trip. October, 2012 (Right, with Katie Bradshaw)
University of Illinois Springfield Biology Class Field Trip. October, 2012
University of Illinois Ichthyology Class Field Trip. September, 2012
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. August 2012
2011
MEDIA GROUPS
Businessweek, October, 2011
ZDF German TV September, 2011
CBS Morning News August, 2011 (Right: Greg Sass with Mark Strassman, CBS)
CNBC August, 2011
Discover Magazine July, 2011
OTHER CONSTITUENTS
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Media Day at Starved Rock September 2011
Great Lakes Fisheries Commission July, 2011
Delegation of Chinese Scientists July, 2011
Emiquon Preserve Visitor Use Ribbon Cutting Ceremony June, 2011
Click for Older Outreach Activities
