On:
In: 2023 Communications Service Award, award, National Sea Grant Communicators Network, Sharon Moen

Sea Grant’s Sharon Moen won the 2023 Communications Service Award from the National Sea Grant Communicators Network in a virtual ceremony last week.

Moen has been a part of the Sea Grant community for 24 years, beginning as an editor for Minnesota Sea Grant and now serving as the food-fish outreach coordinator for Wisconsin Sea Grant. Throughout the years, her skills at conveying messages about the study, conservation and economic importance of the Great Lakes have been front and center.

“Science communications work can be terrifying, funny, riveting and maddening but it is certainly important,” Sharon Moen said. “I’m honored my colleagues recognized my terror and joy with this award. I continue to be inspired by the Sea Grant Network and the innovative ways its communicators are extending information to enhance the use and conservation of coastal, marine and Great Lakes resources.” 

Close-up of smiling person

This award is presented every two years to an individual from one of Sea Grant’s 34 programs located in coastal states, as well as Guam and Puerto Rico. It recognizes creativity, vision and a commitment to the Sea Grant mission and goes to someone who has notched noteworthy accomplishments. In Moen’s case that has been a lengthy list, including:

  • Publishing a book in 2015 that detailed the founding of the national Sea Grant program by Athelstan Spilhaus, a scientist, inventor and former university dean.
  • Taking on national leadership roles that improved the effectiveness of the overall program.
  • Leading a communication planning effort for an aquatic invasive species prevention campaign in the Great Lakes basin.
  • Preparing a Great Lakes research symposium report, and another about ballast water, coordinating work between U.S. and Canadian scientists and other international professionals.
  • Creating an award-winning podcast series focused on Lake Superior.

In selecting her for the award, one judge said, “Sharon has had a remarkable impact on state, regional and Sea Grant network communications throughout her career. Her ability to relay scientific information in a creative and engaging way has set a standard for science communication.”

The post Sea Grant staff member wins national award first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-staff-member-wins-national-award/

Moira Harrington

On:
In: award, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Collaboration, Events and Special Broadcasts, Feature Homepage, Great Lakes Conferences Conferences, Milwaukee, News, US Water Alliance, water, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Great Lakes News Collaborative nets US Water Prize

In front of an international crowd of water researchers, policymakers, community organizers and other officials, the US Water Alliance announced the Great Lakes News Collaborative as the recipient of the 2022 award for “Outstanding One Water Communication.”

The awards presentation took place during the Alliance’s One Water Summit in Milwaukee.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/great-lakes-news-collaborative-nets-water-prize/

GLN Editor

On:
In: ANREP, Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals, award, Bonnie Willison, Introduced, Sydney Widell, Tim Campbell, Titus Seilheimer

The Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals (ANREP) last week announced the winners of its 2022 national awards competition. Titus Seilheimer, fisheries specialist; Tim Campbell, aquatic invasive species specialist; Bonnie Willison, digital storyteller; and Sydney Widell, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student in Freshwater and Marine Sciences and formerly an undergraduate employee of Sea Grant, won a gold award for their work on the podcast series “Introduced.”

“Introduced” spans two seasons with 18 episodes that explore stories of aquatic invasive species in Wisconsin, like rusty crayfish, purple loosestrife and spiny waterfleas.

Introduced cover art

Sea Grant’s Yael Gen designed the cover art for the podcast series.

“Creating this podcast was personally satisfying. It was the first time I’d done podcasting and the easy on-air rapport I had with Sydney made it all the more rewarding,” Willison said. “We learned a lot about the changes that invasive species bring to our cherished lakes streams and wetlands and we talked to many inspiring people who are devoted to protecting our waters.”

Willison also credits Campbell and Seilheimer for making the podcast so effective and educational.  

“When I heard Bonnie was going to lend her considerable talents to a new podcast series and that series would focus on aquatic invasive species, I was excited for the opportunity to dive deeper into some AIS topics and highlight voices and stories that could help us understand the complexity of those issues,” Campbell said. He appears in seven episodes and provided overall consultation on the series.

Seilheimer, too, welcomed the opportunity to participate—offering advice on the podcast series’ direction and featured in four episodes. “Podcasts are an innovative way to reach all kinds of audiences with the kind of prevention messages we want to share. Everyone can play a role in conserving our natural environments.”

Co-hosts Willison and Widell interviewed more than 60 people for the series. The guests included resource managers, recreational fishers and researchers, as well as people from nongovernmental organizations and private businesses.

The ANREP awards honor natural resource programs and people. The organization is a national association for cooperative extension service professionals working in environmental education, fisheries, forestry, wood sciences, range, recreation, waste management, water, wildlife, energy and related disciplines at the county, area, state or national level.

 

The post “Introduced” podcast wins national award first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/introduced-podcast-wins-national-award/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=introduced-podcast-wins-national-award

Moira Harrington

On:
In: Apex Award, award, Groundwater Awareness Week, Moira Harrington, Yael Gen

The University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI) won a communications award in an international competition sponsored by Apex. Awards are based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the ability to achieve overall communications effectiveness. APEX Grand Awards honor the outstanding works in each main category, while APEX Awards of Excellence recognize exceptional entries in each of the individual subcategories.

An invitation created by WRI’s graphic designer Yael Gen for an event commemorating Groundwater Awareness Week won an Award of Excellence in design.

“We are honored to have been recognized for the effectiveness of this piece, which calls attention to an important topic—the value of our groundwater,” said Moira Harrington, assistant director for communications. “Yael is a talented designer, and her work ensures critical audiences, in this case state legislators and staff, learned more about this asset that feeds lakes and streams, and serves households along with agriculture and manufacturing needs.”

WRI’s sister organization, Sea Grant, also won awards for a marine debris teaching tool and a video about research on cisco, a Great Lakes fish.

The competition drew nearly 1,200 entries from around the world, including from including from Fortune 500 companies, non-profits and academic units.

The post Groundwater Awareness Week communication piece wins award first appeared on WRI.

Original Article

News Release – WRI

News Release – WRI

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/groundwater-awareness-week-communication-piece-wins-award/

Moira Harrington

On:
In: award, Events and Special Broadcasts, great lakes now, Latest News
National Recognition: Great Lakes Now wins “Best News and Public Affairs” program for public broadcasting

Congratulations to us for our Public Media Award!

During the National Educational Telecommunications Association conference today, Great Lakes Now received the “Best News and Public Affairs” content award in the annual competition open to public broadcasters.

Congratulations to @detroitpublictv for receiving the Division 1 #publicmediaaward for Content – News & Public Affairs for Great Lakes Now Series #PMA2020

— NETA (@NETA_Tweets) January 26, 2021

Produced at Detroit Public Television, the Great Lakes Now monthly program is carried by more than two dozen PBS affiliates in Great Lakes states and airs on hundreds of Canadian cable providers across Ontario and other provinces.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/great-lakes-now-best-news-and-public-affairs-program-broadcasting/

GLN Editor

On:
In: announcement, award, Equity and Environmental Justice, great lakes now, Great Lakes Protection Fund, Latest News, News, Protect, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Winning Work: Great Lakes Now recognized for communication excellence by Great Lakes Protection Fund

Each year, the Great Lakes Protection Fund chooses a theme and looks for innovation and excellence in work around that theme related to the Great Lakes. Then the best individuals and organizations receive the Fund’s Great Lakes Leadership Award.

This year’s theme is communication, and Great Lakes Now is one of the 2020 award winners!

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/great-lakes-now-communication-excellence-great-lakes-protection-fund/

GLN Editor