Field Station takes shape

UIS' new field station at the Emiquon Preserve is really taking shape and will soon be completed. The station is located on a hillside overlooking the Emiquon floodplain along the Illinois River near Lewistown. That's about 55 miles northeast of Springfield. Under the direction of UIS Professor Mike Lemke, the station will provide resources and space for teaching, learning and research about floodplains. The primary focus will be on the Emiquon floodplain, a vital ecosystem of the Illinois River that is now being restored to some semblance of its rich and diverse biological past, according to Dr. Lemke. He said that as the preserve is transformed, the station will measure, record and experiment to help tell the scientific story by establishing a baseline of information about the land, the water and the organisms. "In cooperation with The Nature Conservancy and The Illinois State Museum, UIS will lead the effort, with scholars from many other institutions also taking part in the teaching and research at Emiquon," he said. The station will give our students and faculty an outstanding opportunity and put UIS on the map in far-reaching ways.