The Nature Conservancy’s Emiquon Nature Preserve is a 6,000-acre floodplain restoration project along the Illinois River in Fulton County.
Situated within the preserve is the Thirkildsen Field Station at Emiquon, operated by the University of Illinois Springfield.
Director Tom Rothfus said the field station provides access to the preserve for researchers and also focuses on public outreach, such as organizing field trips.
“Ways that we might get the community, the public, and schools, connected to the preserve and learn from what’s going on there,” he said.
Rothfus said field trips have always been available at Therkildsen but it’s mostly been by word of mouth.
Now the field station is working to promote opportunities for high school students. TFSE will be offering hands-on field trips this spring and fall to teach students how wetlands function and how various species’ survival depends on this environment.
The program, “Marvelous Macroinvertebrates,” will allow students to put on waders and collect samples in the wetland using a D-net, then examine and explore them in the lab with a microscope. t’s a way for students to learn about a vast ecosystem.
“We talk to the students about the restoration project and wetlands in general. But also how these types of critters, these macroinvertebrates, can be an important indicator of the health of the system,” Rothfus said. “They’re important for recycling nutrients, but they also provide an early step in the food chain.”
Other hands-on programs include exploring the world of mussels and plankton, which also indicates the health of the aquatic ecosystem.
TFSE field trips are for high school students meet Next Generation Science Standards.
“We’re expanding and reaching out into surrounding communities to offer these opportunities,” said Christa Christensen, Education Coordinator for TFSE. “We’ve had a good response so far and it’s really demonstrated a need. It’s really unique to have this experience.”
For more information or to schedule a visit, contact Christensen at cchris5@uis.edu.
Teachers are encouraged to participate in a virtual event from 3:30 to 4 p.m. Monday, April 15, to learn more about Emiquon field trip opportunities. Event registration is available at https://forms.uofi.uis.edu/sec/421282110.
