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In: Anne Moser, Denise Lajimodiere, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, India-Bleu Neihoff, Maadagindan! Start Reading! book club, Maya Reinfeldt, Morgan Coleman, Nicole Neidhardt, Sea Grant Ojibwe book club

The calendar has flipped to 2024. Our staff members are already tackling new projects. Before they move too deeply into the new year, however, some staff members took a moment to retain the glow of their favorite 2023 project. Anne Moser, senior special librarian and education coordinator, shared her thoughts. This is the final post in this series.

My favorite project in 2023 was the Maadagindan! Start Reading! book club. Each month, educators, librarians, parents (anyone who loves to read with children) meet on Zoom to explore a children’s book written by an Ojibwe author.

Anne Moser. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

The book club was launched in the spring of 2022 and was created by Morgan Coleman, an intern shared between the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and Wisconsin Sea Grant. The project has been a labor of love since the start, and I owe much of its success to two groups of people: the incredible students I have mentored over the years and the inspiring honored guests that join us for discussions.

Two community-engaged scholars planned our 2023 meetings: Maya Reinfeldt chose the books in the spring and India-Bleu Neihoff in the fall. Neither had experience in choosing books for discussion or in researching and writing supporting materials for our meetings but both took on the challenge with passion. Mentoring these talented students is an inspiration for me.

The other key to our success was the honored guests who shared their knowledge, insights and wisdom. It is essential that we include a Native voice in our meetings to guide our conversation. In 2023, we were fortunate to have both authors and illustrators join us. Two of our guests stand out: Denise Lajimodiere, author of Josie Dances and enrolled Citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Belcourt, North Dakota, and Nicole Neidhardt, a Diné (Navajo) of Kiiyaa’áanii clan and illustrator of Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults. Both talked about their craft of writing and illustration, their own experiences as a young Native person reading books by Native and non-Native authors and their connections to the words and pictures in these beautiful stories. Each left us with thoughts on how to integrate the work into our lives and how to move forward in the world with a new perspective.

Every month when our meeting ends, I can’t wait to meet again. It has transformed the way I do my work as an educator and a librarian.

Please join us! Visit our web page to learn more.

The post Ojibwe book club inspires and educates first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/ojibwe-book-club-inspires-and-educates/

Anne Moser

On:
In: Anne Moser, Maad book club, Maadagindan, Ojibwe culture book club

If you’d like to enhance your cultural diversity in the upcoming year, you might want to consider joining a monthly online book group focused on Ojibwe culture and the Great Lakes. Wisconsin Sea Grant formed it for teachers, parents and librarians (anyone who loves to read with children) in partnership with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. The book club is open to anyone in the Great Lakes region who wishes to join. Each month’s discussion includes an Ojibwe honored guest who shares wisdom and stories based on the theme of the book.

Visit: go.wisc.edu/Maadagindan to see the recent titles and send an email to Anne Moser akmoser@aqua.wisc.edu to join the email list. 

The post Maad (Maadagindan) Book Club first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/maad-maadagindan-book-club/

Anne Moser

On:
In: application, Coastal Engineering, Great Lakes literacy, Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, Neeskay, teacher workshop

The R/V Neeskay will be the site of a workshop for teaching professionals this August. Submitted image.

Wisconsin Sea Grant is excited to announce its 2023 in-person Great Lakes literacy professional learning workshop for formal and nonformal educators in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Over the course of two days, August 16-17, educators will work alongside each other, engineers, scientists and Sea Grant educators to take a deep dive into coastal engineering. 

The workshop will explore how coastal engineering can shape and strengthen our coasts and shorelines, using Milwaukee and its Lake Michigan shoreline as a case study. It will include time aboard R/V Neeskay giving a unique perspective to the engineering transformations of the community. Educators will be introduced to activities and lessons to bring back engineering to their learners. The content is best suited to educators working at the middle and high school levels.

A full agenda will be provided shortly. Both experienced and educators new to Great Lakes literacy are encouraged to apply. Stipends will be provided to cover attendance and travel.

Fill out an application today! Deadline is June 15.

 

The post Waterfronts Past and Present: Learn How Engineers Design with Nature first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/waterfronts-past-and-present-learn-how-engineers-design-with-nature/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=waterfronts-past-and-present-learn-how-engineers-design-with-nature

Anne Moser

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In: Anne Moser, Bioblitz resources, Earth Day, Great Lakes BioBlitz 2023, iNaturalist, Professor David Drake, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Urban Canid Project, webinar

Birders look at cormorants off Barker’s Island. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Students, educators, families and friends are invited to celebrate Earth Day with the kickoff of the Center for Great Lakes Literacy’s 4th Annual Great Lakes BioBlitz. This event is a great opportunity to engage youth and the public in community science, collect data to support biodiversity research and conservation, and learn more about the living things in the Great Lakes Basin.

What is the Great Lakes BioBlitz?

A free event that focuses on finding and identifying as many wild, living things as possible in the Canadian provinces and U.S. states that border the Great Lakes during a specified period of time.

When is the Great Lakes BioBlitz?

The BioBlitz begins on Earth Day (Saturday, April 22) and it runs for four weeks, ending on Saturday, May 20.

How do I participate in the Great Lakes BioBlitz?

The beauty of this project is that you decide your level of participation. Take an afternoon to explore and document some plants or wildlife in an area, or pick a location to return to weekly, or set a goal to find something new every day–there are many ways to participate. You may participate as an individual, a family, a class, or other group.

Joining is as easy as saying “One-two-three-CHEESE!”

  1. Visit iNaturalist or download the app onto your phone and create an account.  
  2. Visit and become a member of the Great Lakes BioBlitz project.
  3. Get outside, get out your cameras, and start making and posting observations!
  4. To be a Bioblitz wizard, verify other participants’ Great Lakes BioBlitz Project postings.

Want to learn more about the Great Lake BioBlitz?

Visit the Great Lakes BioBlitz Resources webpage for more information about the project and educator resources for engaging youth in this wonderful learning experience.

WEBINAR! Want to learn more about a community science project that uses iNaturalist data?

Register for and attend the 2023 Great Lakes BioBlitz webinar featuring guest scientist Professor David Drake of the UW Madison, Urban Canid Project. Join us 4-5:30 p.m. CDT, April 12 on Zoom to learn about how Drake and his team are using iNaturalist to better manage urban coyotes and red foxes. It uses iNaturalist to collect the public’s sightings of coyotes and red foxes in the Madison area. His presentation will describe the type of iNaturalist data collected and how the information is used for improved urban canid management.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Please contact Anne Moser at akmoser@aqua.wisc.edu or (608) 262 3069 if you have any questions regarding registration, the webinar, or have accommodations and accessibility requests.

Why would we want to encourage our community to do this? 

There are so many benefits of becoming a BioBlitz wizard:

  1. Engage in an outdoor activity, discover the wild living things in the world around you, form and strengthen a connection to your place
  2. Join a global community of observers, learners, and scientists passionate about biodiversity and the Great Lakes
  3. Contribute to a global database of organisms. Observations made on iNaturalists contribute to research, conservation, and educational outreach programs.

Time to get outside!

 

The post The Great Lakes BioBlitz first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/the-great-lakes-bioblitz/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-great-lakes-bioblitz

Anne Moser

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In: Uncategorized
Today marks Indigenous People’s Day, a time to reflect on the history and legacy of colonization in North America, and celebrate and support the Indigenous People across the Great Lakes and this continent. Indigenous People’s Day has it’s roots in the protests and counter-celebrations of 1992, the year that marked 500 years since Christopher Columbus […]

Original Article

Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/7032-2/

Anne Moser

On:
In: Uncategorized
by Maya Reinfeldt, Library Assistant This summer learn about Wisconsin’s natural past, present and future and the people involved in studying and caring for it. Enjoy books about our state’s flora and fauna, Indigenous knowledge and ethics and about our founding naturalists. Black, Merel R., and Emmet J. Judziewicz. Wildflowers of Wisconsin and the Great […]

Original Article

Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/celebrating-a-wisconsin-naturalist-summer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=celebrating-a-wisconsin-naturalist-summer

Anne Moser

On:
In: Water Library Blog
SELECT READS (for kids) – GREAT LAKES SHIPWRECKS The Christmas Tree Ship: The Story of Captain Santa by Rochelle Pennington. Door Peninsula Shipwrecks by Jon Paul Van Harpen Great Lakes Shipwrecks & Survivals by William Ratigan Great Ships on the Great Lakes: A Maritime History from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press Lost & Found: Legendary […]

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Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/dive-into-shipwrecks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dive-into-shipwrecks

Anne Moser

On:
In: Water Library Blog
Hello readers! I am Megan Nayar and I am the student education assistant for Wisconsin Sea Grant. Since winter is not giving up its grip this year, I found some reading suggestions to sustain you until the thaw comes and spring arrives. I have suggested readings for children and adults that explore life under the […]

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Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/megans-reading-list/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=megans-reading-list

Anne Moser

On:
In: Water Library Blog
With this week’s find of the Endurance, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s very long-lost ship that sank in 1915, ice is on our mind. The location of the wreck, close to 10,000 deep, is one of the iciest on the planet. And because of the cold waters, the wreck is in almost pristine condition. Ice is […]

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Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/ice-oh-wonderful-ice/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ice-oh-wonderful-ice

Anne Moser

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In: Anne Moser, Hannah ARbuckle, Oceans of Possibilities, South Central Library System

My favorite project in 2021 was a workshop I organized at the invitation of the South Central Library System. This organization provides training and support to public libraries in seven southern Wisconsin counties. My colleagues in the workshop were youth services librarians gearing up for the 2022 national summer reading program, which has a theme of “Oceans of Possibilities.”

Anne Moser, senior special librarian and education coordinator

I modified the theme to “Oceans of Possibilities in Our Backyard” because the watersheds that surround us provide a wealth of opportunities to explore literacy and have fun. There is no need to go any farther.

At the workshop, I was honored to be joined by Hannah Arbuckle, outreach coordinator with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. We began with an overview of the Great Lakes and waters of Wisconsin, integrating traditional ecological knowledge into the presentation. We engaged attendees with hands-on learning to explore the terrific properties of water. We finished the morning traveling in a time machine to learn about Great Lakes shipwrecks. We spun the tragic tale of the Silver Lake, a scow schooner that went down in Lake Michigan in the late 1800s.

At the end of the morning, a skilled youth services librarian approached and told me she was thankful for the workshop. The summer reading program recycles themes every 10 or 15 years, and she had already dusted off old storytimes and activities in her files. She now planned to turn to the creek behind the library and use that as her watershed for the summer.

I can’t think of a better outcome!

 

The post Sea Grant project faves, Anne Moser first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/sea-grant-project-faves-anne-moser/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sea-grant-project-faves-anne-moser

Anne Moser

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In: Water Library Blog
Where do words and science intersect? At first glance, it may seem nowhere. But let’s consider how we see patterns in both poetry and in science. Or how both make observations to make sense of the world. Both use their own techniques and require creativity and even problem-solving. Perhaps the two disciplines are not so […]

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Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/national-poetry-month-is-here/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=national-poetry-month-is-here

Anne Moser

On:
In: Water Library Blog
As the spring thaw begins in Wisconsin, the outdoors and our watery places beckon. For both kids and adults there is a strong urge to get outside and play. This urge also inspires narratives from writers on their own experiences exploring our world: on foot, in canoes, on bicycles, in their backyards, from their tents […]

Original Article

Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/spring-outside/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spring-outside

Anne Moser

On:
In: Water Library Blog
Books have the power to inspire and enlighten. Diversity in books, especially in literature published for youth, is essential. All children must see themselves in the pages of the books they read, especially as we inspire and motivate the next generation of Great Lakes and water leaders. The library continues to develop our collection to […]

Original Article

Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/diverse-literature-belongs-in-our-library/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=diverse-literature-belongs-in-our-library

Anne Moser

On:
In: Water Library Blog
Today we celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day! First, we take this day to acknowledge the Indigenous people of Wisconsin, the past, current, and future stewards of this land we stand on. The Wisconsin Water Library at the University of Wisconsin–Madison occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial. The […]

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Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/indigenous-peoples-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=indigenous-peoples-day

Anne Moser

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In: Water Library Blog
By Anne Moser and Laura Killingsworth What is environmental justice? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as the “fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. Fair treatment means no group […]

Original Article

Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/ejlist/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ejlist

Anne Moser

On:
In: Anne Moser, art and science projects, poly pledge, sturgeon art, Under the Surface

Anne Moser, senior special librarian and education coordinator at Wisconsin Sea Grant, recently penned this story for the spring 2020 issue of the International Association of Great Lakes Research’s newsletter, “Lakes Letter.” Here’s a reprint for your enjoyment.

While the idea of scientists and art­ists collaborating may sound like a 21st century concept, the history of these disparate disciplines working in tandem dates back thousands of years. Scientists have long used art to document and illustrate, while artists have sought out science as inspiration. We see it in the prehistoric art in the caves of southern France, the hu­man anatomy drawings of the master Leonardo da Vinci, and the exquisite masterpieces by John Audubon. The link continues today, as scientists and artists connect deeply to mutually inform their work. Artists are studying scientific findings to accurately com­municate their concerns and inspira­tions, while scientists are searching for ways to better translate their research through art to engage a broader public in their findings.

Recent education and outreach projects at the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute (WSG) have taken this interdisciplinary approach by combining art and science to com­municate Great Lakes research. We have taken inspiration from our work with children, who dive into scientific learning with an open mind, interdis­ciplinary nature and artistic flair.

Anne Moser. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

The three projects featured here highlight opportunities where unique partner­ships were forged and surprising com­mon ground found between artists and scientists. Each exemplifies the cross­ing of disciplinary boundaries, with the goal of a more science-informed society, regardless of age, socioeco­nomic status or education.

We welcome collaborations from across the Great Lakes water­shed. Please contact the author at akmoser@aqua.wisc.edu.

The Poly Pledge

In 2016, J. Leigh Garcia, at the time a student in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Master of Fine Arts program, approached the Wisconsin Water Library looking for information about plastic pollution and fish consumption. Although she was originally concerned about the impact plastic might have on her health, her library reference question eventually led to a public art installation on the UW-Madison campus.

Leigh and a collaborator, Pete Bouchard, created a human-powered vending machine that dispensed reusable screen-printed shopping bags in exchange for pledges not to use plastic bags for one month.

About 130 people took the pledge. WSG then held a symposium that featured Garcia and Bouchard talking about their artistic approach and the goals of their public performance. This artists’ talk was paired with a science presentation by Loyola University Chicago Associate Professor Timothy Hoellein, who gave an overview of his research on the sources and impacts of anthropogenic litter (trash) around Chicago.

Ancient Survivors

Inspired to generate dialogue and dis­cussion between art and science, two professors at the University of Minnesota Duluth curated almost 50 black and white images of lake sturgeon to help tell the story of the Great Lakes.

These artistic interpretations formed the basis of several outreach programs, including a collaboration with the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts in Fond du Lac, Wis­consin. During early 2019, the THELMA mounted an exhibition in conjunction with the winter sturgeon-spearing season on Lake Winnebago.

The exhibition included the artwork as well as artifacts and historical objects never previously collected in one place. Over 10,000 people learned the conser­vation story of an ancient fish brought back from the brink of extinction through newspapers, decoys and spears, audio recordings, scientific papers, sculpture, and drawings.

Under the Surface

At Northwest Passage in northwest Wisconsin, youth in mental health treatment have the op­portunity to go under the surface as part of an innovative curriculum that blends art, science and therapeutic healing using underwater pho­tography.

This WSG-funded project has resulted in a photography exhibition that has traveled to libraries, visitor centers and other public spaces around Wisconsin, showing the power of water to heal and restore. As one visitor to a show noted, “This exhibit took my breath away. I am blown away by how these kids have overcome pain and hardship and channeled emotions and experiences into creating great art.”

An image from the “Under the Surface” project, courtesy of Northwest Passage.

Original Article

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/crossing-borders-art-science-and-the-great-lakes/

Anne Moser

On:
In: Water Library Blog
During this time of social distancing, I am sad to be writing at home to say goodbye to a friend and collaborator I have had the honor of working with over the past several years.  For a long time, as an outreach librarian, I wanted to teach kiddos about underwater exploration but had no idea […]

Original Article

Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/goodbye-to-a-great-collaborator-and-friend/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=goodbye-to-a-great-collaborator-and-friend

Anne Moser

On:
In: Water Library Blog
Like so many institutions around the world, the Wisconsin Water Library has temporarily closed its doors today, March 16, 2020 until the UW Madison opens again (after spring break and the alternative instruction period), tentatively scheduled for April 10. Though the physical space is closed, library staff are here in the virtual space to help […]

Original Article

Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/wisconsin-water-library-and-covid-19/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wisconsin-water-library-and-covid-19

Anne Moser

On:
In: Water Library Blog
Special blog post by Perry Smith and Susan Jurries Arbor Vitae-Woodruff Elementary Woodruff, Wisconsin May 3, 2019 On Thursday, April 25, 2019 fifty-one fourth graders, four teachers, and one paraprofessional educator boarded the bus at 8:15 AM for the 160 mile trip to Superior, WI and Duluth, MN from our school in Woodruff, Wisconsin. We […]

Original Article

Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/fifty-one-students-and-five-brave-educators-go-on-a-field-trip/

Anne Moser