Partnership Is Key

MRCF Supports NGRREC

MRCF

The Mississippi River Confluence Foundation (MRCF), a 501c3 organization, is independent organizationally from Lewis and Clark Community College and the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. The MRCF exists to help fund programs and research enhancing the ecology of big rivers, the workings of the watersheds that feed them, and the interconnectedness of big rivers and their floodplains.

NGRREC

The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC), a division of Lewis and Clark Community College, is dedicated to the study of great river systems and the communities that use them. The center aspires to be a leader in scholarly research, education, and outreach related to the interconnectedness of large rivers, their floodplains, watersheds, and their associated communities. Founded in 2002 as a collaborative partnership between Gary Rolfe, Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Dale Chapman, Ph.D. former president at Lewis and Clark Community College, NGRREC aspires to be a leader in freshwater research, education and outreach programs to advance knowledge, land and water management practices, and policies related to large rivers and their floodplain systems.

NGRREC’s Mission

The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s scholars and scientists study the ecology of the big rivers, the workings of the watersheds that feed them, and the ties to the river communities that use them.

NGRREC’s Goals and Functions

  • Conduct research that makes significant contributions to our understanding of big rivers and their watersheds.

  • Actively solicit community and other stakeholder input to ensure that our research is truly relevant and responsive to societal needs.

  • Promote the use of adaptive management and continuous improvement strategies that regularly apply lessons learned from the river/watershed sites to ongoing sustainable management practices, continuing research, and policy development.

  • Develop and implement education and outreach programs that foster a greater understanding and appreciation for the great rivers and extend and apply knowledge gained from the research to protect and sustain the quality of river environments.

  • A yellow buoy floats in a river. In the background is a sandy shoreline in front of green trees and lush vegetation.

    Research

    The Research Team conducts research on plant and animal populations and their habitats and furthers our understanding of the links among rivers, watersheds, and people.

  • An individual runs a weed-eater on a grassy opening of a woodland bluff overlooking the Mississippi river.

    Outreach

    The Outreach and Conservation Teams work to develop, implement, and monitor on-the-ground conservation programs on private and public lands in watersheds within Illinois.

  • A group of children enjoy exploring museum exhibits.

    Education

    The Education Team extends knowledge gained from NGRREC research to inspire the next generation and encourage informed citizenry to protect and sustain rivers.

NGRREC By The Numbers

An overview of the Mississippi River on an overcast day looking out past two trees and tall grass.
 

• 34 employees all working in the State of Illinois.

• 14 college students in the paid NGRREC summer internship program working on river-related projects throughout the region (462 total in the 19 years of the program).

• 94 students enrolled in Lewis and Clark Community College pursued degree programs that were designed and informed by NGRREC’s research and outreach programs.

• 275+ active citizen scientists statewide in the NGRREC-led Illinois RiverWatch program.

• $5,300,000+ in grants received for research, education and outreach.

• Nearly 3,000 conservation practices benefitting over 216,000 acres in 37 Illinois counties were adopted by landholders with technical assistance from the Land Conservation Program.

• 65,000+ Illinois citizens received web based technical assistance related to wildlife conservation and habitat improvement.

• Over 3000 K-12 students served by NGRREC education and outreach programs.