City of Urbana Pumpkin Smash Event November 4th at the Landscape Recycling Center

The city of Urbana is hosting a Pumpkin Smash event at the Landscape Recycling center on Saturday, November 4th from 11 am to 3 pm. This is a free event to bring your old October gourds to the food compost pile and smash them up, while learning about local compost and organics recycling!

UIUC’s Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) group is also going to set up pumpkin collecting stations around campus at FAR/PAR, Channing Murray, Ikenberry Commons, and Grainger Library and collect pumpkins on November 4th from 10 am – 2 pm. If you’re a student who has a pumpkin to get rid of but can’t personally get to the Landscape Recycling Center, you can drop it off at one of these pumpkin collecting stations.

2023 Harmful Algal Blooms Webinar Series Calendar

Date Speaker Affiliation Topic
February 1st Donna Hill USEPA Toxins Associated w/ Freshwater HABs & Mammalian Health Effect
April 5th Jeanine Refsnider

Alba Argerich
University of Toledo


University of Missouri
Effects of Lake Erie Harmful Algal Blooms on Wildlife Health


Lessons Learned from 30 Years of Community Science- The Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program
June 7th James Cotner

John Lenhart
University of Minnesota

Ohio State University

TBD

Use of Activated Carbon for Cyanotoxin Treatment
August 2nd Adam Heathcote

Katherine Canfield
Science Museum of Minnesota


USEPA
TBD

TBD
October 4th Grace Wilkinson

Ann St. Amand
University of Wisconsin, Madison

PhycoTech, Inc.
TBD

TBD
December 6th Gina LaLiberte


Anna Boegehold

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research
CyanoHAB

TBD

Upcoming Algal Blooms Action Team Webinar: Wed. February 1, 2023 at 11 AM CT

North Central Region Water Network Upcoming Webinar:
Toxins Associated with Fresh Water Harmful Algal Blooms and Their Mammalian Health Effects
Wednesday February 1, 2023 11:00 AM CT/ 12:00 PM ET  

Algal Bloom Action Team Webinar Series

 The Algal Bloom Action Team is hosting its first webinar of 2023 on Wednesday, February 1st. This webinar will feature Donna Hill with the Office of Research and Development with the US EPA. Hill will provide an overview of health effects seen in humans and animals from freshwater cyanotoxin blooms. Completed and planned cyanotoxin research in their EPA lab will also be outlined.

The Algal Bloom Action Team is a collaboration of water professionals, researchers, and educators from the national network of Water Resources Research Institutes, the North Central Region Water Network, and Cooperative Extensions from the 12 states in the North Central Region of the United States. More information at northcentralwater.org/habs/.

Copyright © 2023 North Central Region Water Network, All rights reserved.

3rd Annual Virtual Harmful Algal Bloom Symposium. A river channel with abundant algal bloom growth and overhanging trees.

Harmful Algal Bloom Symposium Recap – View slides for the 4 sessions!

The Algal Bloom Action Team’s popular Virtual Harmful Algal Bloom Research Symposium returned for its third year on January 5-6, 2023.

The event brought together over 800 water professionals from across the North Central Region to hear about the latest harmful algal bloom Research, discuss examples of effective bloom management, and learn about the latest technologies being used to tackle this global issue

View the recordings of the symposium:

View an abbreviated version of the agenda below or find a more detailed PDF here.

NGWA Webinar: Hydrogeology of Illinois

Join NGWA on October 25th to explore the Hydrogeology of Illinois. As hydrogeology varies widely across the United States — and as primary jurisdiction over groundwater development rests with the states — each is unique. This webinar series explores the issues encountered in each of the 50 states — one at a time. 

Explore your region with Daniel Hadley, PG and hydrogeologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, who will discuss the unique hydrogeology of Illinois, including:

  • A rapidly declining aquifer system in the Chicagoland area
  • The impact of a billion gallons a day of irrigation withdraws in the “Imperial Valley” of the Midwest
  • And how groundwater could shut down interstate travel in a matter of minutes

The 1-hour Illinois hydrogeology webinar focuses on the state’s:

  • Major aquifers
  • Physical and geologic properties
  • Groundwater use and availability
  • Groundwater quality and contamination
  • Surface water/groundwater interactions
  • Groundwater management issues

Who should attend? 

  • Geologists
  • Hydrogeologists
  • Hydrologists
  • Water well drilling contractors
  • Land-use planners
  • Federal, state, and local regulatory personnel
  • Water-supply managers

Webinar Details: Link to details and registration
October 25th at 12pET/11aCT 
Early Registration Pricing: $29 on or before October 14th 

North Central Region Water Network Logo

Call for Abstracts: The Harmful Algal Bloom Symposium is Returning in 2023!

North Central Region Water Network Logo
The Harmful Algal Bloom Research Symposium is coming back in 2023! The Algal Bloom Action Team’s popular Harmful Algal Bloom Research Symposium will return for it’s third year this January 5-6, 2023! The symposium is free and will be held entirely virtually. Over the last two years, the event has brought together over 600 water professionals annually from across the North Central Region to hear about the latest Harmful Algal Bloom Research, discuss examples of effective bloom management, and learn about the latest technologies tackling this global issue.

Our call for abstracts is now open!

The Harmful Algal Bloom Symposium is a great opportunity to share your work with fellow water professionals. Be sure to submit an abstract of your work today!
 
Research and case study abstracts are encouraged!

Abstracts are due at 11:59 PM CT on Friday, November 4th.

July 6 – Geothermal Illinois: Community and District Systems (Renewable Heating and Cooling)

Wednesday, July 6 at 10 AM CT 

Presented by: Brian Urlaub, Associate Vice President & Director of Geothermal Operations, SALAS O’BRIEN

Geothermal energy systems allow community- and district-scale energy plants and facilities, multi-building developments, and campuses to attain higher energy efficiencies, better energy cost savings, and lower carbon emissions. Join us for a community/district geothermal presentation that will focus on key elements of designing and constructing interconnected ambient geothermal energy systems for a range of applications. Key drivers that affect their design and implementation will be discussed, as well as different options that help make these geothermal systems more flexible, resilient, efficient, and cost effective.

The webinar will cover aspects and features of geothermal energy systems, and how to use city right of ways for installing geothermal infrastructure. This learning opportunity is ideal for professionals working in state, county and city governments, sustainable development, infrastructure planning managers, utilities, clean energy workforce, and community development. After the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to ask about specifications and guidance in getting their projects started.

REGISTER HERE

REGISTER – IL-IN Sea Grant Panel Discussion: What to Include in Grant Applications

Description

Join Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant staff as they host a panel discussion with representatives from different funding agencies. Panelists will share what their organization looks for when selecting proposals to support, and audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions. The primary audience for this webinar is students or post-doctoral graduates currently affiliated with universities and colleges in Illinois and Indiana.

Panelists include Nick Boucher, Fishery Program Research Associate, Great Lakes Fishery Commission; Jenny Orsburn, Program Manager, Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lake Michigan Coastal Program; Amy Weckle, Assistant Director, Illinois Water Resources Center; Chuck Weirich, Aquaculture Manager, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant; Alan Wilson, Auburn University, former Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Time

Apr 12, 2022 04:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

(PAST) Webinar: Getting to the Heart of Science Communication with Dr. Faith Kearns


California Institute for Water Resources
University of California , Division of Agriculture and Natural Resource
WEBINAR — Free and open to the public.


Wednesday, February 23, 2022, 12 pm C.T.
Join by:
• Clicking WEBINAR LINK
• Contacting egroninger@siu.edu for link in email

Many science communication practitioners find themselves working on issues that are emotional,
contentious, and sometimes traumatic. The traditional science communication tools of perfecting a
presentation, message, or frame fall short in the face of these kinds of challenges. This talk will
focus on a different way of approaching science communication with tools that including relating,
listening, working with conflict, and understanding trauma, all with an eye toward justice and
community care

Kearns is a scientist and science communication practitioner with over 25 years experience working
on water, wildfire, and climate change in Washington D.C. and the western U.S. Her work has been
published in New Republic, On Being, Bay Nature, and more. Her book, Getting to the Heart of
Science: A Guide to Effective Engagement (Island Press, 2021) is available anywhere books are sold.

“Dr. Kearns has given us much-needed tools for sharing science with empathy,
engagement, and the full humanity that our audiences deserve. A brave and
brilliant guide to the shifting terrain of science communication.”
Cynthia Barnett, University of Florida Environmental Journalist in Residence and
author of Mirage, Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis, and The
Sound of the Sea. Read more about Kearns and her book here.