Mushrooms and connections

I have never gone mushroom hunting but I've thought about it for 30 years because it just sounds like fun. So I got a big kick out of a very successful event this week. People from almost 20 central Illinois towns, plus a few from Michigan, were a little north of Springfield at our Emiquon research field station for a mushroom hunt. The event was quite successful, with 45 people turning out. It turns out that UIS has an expert on mushrooms on our faculty, and he was featured recently in the Illinois Times. For a university to connect with people on topics they care about is one of the greatest services we can provide, I think. Even if the topic is mushrooms.

A great opening at Emiquon

I hope to savor for a long time the upbeat spirit at the grand Grand Opening ceremony at the Emiquon Field Station north of Havana. It was a celebration of a remarkable partnership that includes UIS, The Nature Conservancy and the adjacent Dickson Mounds Museum. All were well represented today. I had a chance to chat with Dr. Mike Wiant of Dickson Mounds, with TNC state director Leslee Spraggins, and of course, our own Professor Mike Lemke. What they have in common is passion. Passion for one of the most remarkable floodplain restoration projects in the world. I always love hearing Mike talk about Emiquon and how he wants to bring students literally into natural settings to teach them. Courtney Westlake gave us a look at the Emiquon research last fall, and she was there again today to cover the event. [ADDED SATURDAY MORNING]: Chris Young of Springfield's State Journal-Register had a really good article about the event in today's paper.