Natalie Chin

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/northern-wisconsin-communities-benefit-from-climate-change-program/

Summer scholars dip toes into water-related careers: Part two

On: August 21, 2023

In: Anne Moser, aquaculture, Climate change, Emma Hauser, Gavin Dehnert, green infrastructure, herbicides, Natalie Chin, PFAS, Sharon Moen, Summer scholars, Tim Campbell, Wisconsin Water Library

In this second part of a two-part series on Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Summer Outreach Opportunities Program Scholars, we introduce six more scholars working on five projects.

***

What did you do this summer?

A seagull enjoys summer at Bradford Beach in Milwaukee.
Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

It’s a question that, in the middle of August, might prompt panicked reexamination of how you spent the long, warm days of a fleeting season.

For Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Summer Outreach Opportunities Program scholars, the answers come easily.

This summer, 12 undergraduate students from across the country spent a jam-packed 10 weeks collaborating with outreach specialists on coastal and water resources projects across Wisconsin. Scholars conducted research, engaged kids and adults and shared the stories of Great Lakes science, all while working alongside mentors to explore careers and graduate education in the aquatic sciences.

Whether they wrangled fish in Green Bay or researched green infrastructure in Ashland, scholars have much to share about how they spent their summers. Here’s a snapshot of the final five projects in our series.

Project: Climate Change and Green Infrastructure

It’s summer in Ashland, Wisconsin, and summer scholar Alexander Wuethrich is already thinking about winter.

Summer scholar Alex Wuethrich. Photo credit: Alex Wuethrich

Wuethrich, a senior at Northland College majoring in climate science with a minor in physics, is working under the mentorship of Climate and Tourism Outreach Specialist Natalie Chin to research the ways the city of Ashland can use green infrastructure to absorb and slow the flow of stormwater into Lake Superior. He’s focusing on rainwater—but also snow.

Wuethrich explained that the city receives so much snow in winter that crews remove it from city streets and take it to a snow dump site. The current location makes it easy for polluted runoff to enter local waterways.

“Right now, [the site] is at the top of a ravine that leads into a river,” said Wuethrich. As the snow melts, water carries all the sediment, salt and pollutants picked up from city streets into the river, which leads to Lake Superior.

One option is constructing a wetland, which can slow down water and allow sediments to settle out. Wetland plants can also remove heavy metals. Said Wuethrich, “It’ll bring out a lot of those contaminants that we want to keep out of the water system.”

The city can also take measures to prevent pollutants from being on the street in the first place. Enter the street sweeper.

“Learning about how much of a difference [street sweeping] can make was a real eye-opener for me,” Wuethrich said. Working along sweeper routes for three days, he discovered they do more than just tidy up roads. “[Street sweepers] can also pick up heavy metals and other things from cars…like lead and copper that’ll naturally wear off.” Street sweepers also collect dust and sediment before rainwater washes them into the lake.

In addition to getting a crash course in public works, Wuethrich has been using GIS to map storm sewers and catchment basins in the city and developed educational materials on green infrastructure and how to maintain stormwater ponds in the city. He also created a list of trees that, if approved by the city council, would shape what trees can be planted along city streets. The list prioritizes salt- and drought-tolerant native species that could adapt to a warmer, climate-changed future.

The summer scholar experience has underlined that getting involved matters. Said Wuethrich, “It makes a big difference what your local administrators are doing.”

Project: Eat Wisconsin Fish

For Jojo Hunt and Crow Idnani, this was the summer of fish. Paired with Food-Fish Outreach Coordinator Sharon Moen and Aquaculture Outreach and Education Specialist Emma Hauser in Superior, Wisconsin, the scholars spent their summers immersed in the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries across the state: visiting producers, learning about the industry and sharing what they’ve learned. Both scholars completed projects that seek to educate and connect consumers with fish caught or farmed in Wisconsin.

Jojo Hunt gives the thumbs up next to a large tank of fish

Jojo Hunt at the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility. Photo credit: Jojo Hunt

Hunt, a junior at the University of Denver majoring in GIS with minors in computer science and math, is updating the fish finder map on the Eat Wisconsin Fish website, which helps consumers find local businesses that raise or sell Wisconsin fish.

“The main goal of the map is to bring more attention and awareness to where [the businesses] are and what they do and hopefully break some of those stereotypes,” she said, pointing to the misconception that farm-raised fish is unsustainable.

Hunt is also experimenting with different map-making tools to feature profiles of the producers alongside the data. “I thought it’d be kind of nice to see those right under the map to make the points have a story,” said Hunt.

Crow Idnani at the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility. Photo credit: Crow Idnani

Idnani is also working to dispel myths about aquaculture by suggesting updates to A Consumer’s Guide for Wisconsin Farm-Raised Fish, a publication of the UW–Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (NADF) and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The current guide provides an overview of the aquaculture industry in Wisconsin but can get overly technical. Idnani, a sophomore at Cornell University majoring in environmental science with an eye toward science communication, is reviewing the guide through a consumer lens so that it is more useful for the general public.

A creative piece is in the works, too. Idnani is also writing an article tracing the life of an Atlantic salmon at NADF, from when the fish hatches to when it is harvested. Idnani, Hauser and Moen plan to pitch the story to a regional publication to get it in front of audiences outside the aquaculture industry.

From measuring and sorting Atlantic salmon at the NADF facility to preparing shore lunches and teaching kids about aquaculture, the scholars have—unsurprisingly—learned a lot about all things fish.

Said Idnani, “I never grilled a fish until coming here; I never handled a live fish until coming here. It’s been a lot of firsts, but I’ve enjoyed it.”

Projects: PFAS Bioaccumulation in Plants and Animals Associated with Aquatic Ecosystems

Assessing Aquatic Plant Management Tools for Invasive, Native and Nontarget Organisms in Lake Ecosystems

Summer scholar Britta McKinnon. Photo credit: Britta McKinnon

Britta McKinnon and Heidi Wegehaupt spent their summers in lakes and labs working to paint a more complete picture of how contaminants enter and impact aquatic ecosystems. The scholars participated in two research projects: one focused on poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and the other on herbicides.

McKinnon, a junior at UW–Milwaukee majoring in aquatic sciences, focused primarily on PFAS. Under the direction of Emerging Contaminants Scientist Gavin Dehnert, she identified potential sources of PFAS in northern Wisconsin. McKinnon paid special attention to airports, which use PFAS-containing foams to extinguish fires, as well as landfills and papermills. She noted lakes that may be affected by contaminated runoff.

PFAS can persist in water for a long time. Sometimes called “forever chemicals,” they do not break down easily and can get taken up by plants and animals—and eventually humans—in a process known as bioaccumulation. McKinnon developed a series of factsheets explaining what PFAS are, how they enter and move through the environment and the concerns they pose for human health.

In sharing information with others, she learned a lot about PFAS herself. For example: PFAS are not one substance but many. “I had no idea that there are thousands of different types,” said McKinnon.

Herbicides, not PFAS, were the subject of Heidi Wegehaupt’s research this summer. Working with Dehnert and aquatic invasive outreach specialist Tim Campbell, Wegehaupt collected water and fish samples across three lakes in northern Wisconsin to determine how the herbicide 2,4-Dicholrophenoxyacetic acid affects nonnative Eurasian watermilfoil, the intended target, and nontarget aquatic organisms.

Said Wegehaupt, “Each waterbody has a unique ecological composition, meaning they all react to herbicides differently.”

Knowing how the herbicide affects nontarget species like fish will help lake associations make informed decisions about how to manage invasive species on their lake.

In collecting samples from different lakes, Wegehaupt, a senior at UW–Madison majoring in conservation biology with a certificate in environmental studies, learned she loved fieldwork.

“My favorite part of this experience so far has been spending time at the lakes we’re sampling and just taking the time to enjoy being outside. Getting to know the lakes we work on and talking with locals has been enlightening to my experience as a whole,” said Wegehaupt.

McKinnon, on the other hand, was excited about the lab work. In addition to her PFAS research, McKinnon helped the research team test the impacts of herbicides on fish scale growth. It reminded her of her favorite class, chemistry. Said McKinnon, “I found that I’m in love with the laboratory aspects.”

Neither scholar had previous experience in environmental toxicology but both used the summer to explore which aspects of the research process resonated with them.

Said Wegehaupt, “I still have one year left at UW, so hopefully this opportunity helps me form a path for the future.”

Project: Expanding Voices Heard in the Wisconsin Water Library

India-Bleu Niehoff helps children with an activity at the library. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

As a summer scholar with the Wisconsin Water Library at UW–Madison, India-Bleu Niehoff learned quickly that working at a small library means variety is routine.

“It’s a special academic library, which basically means you do everything,” said Niehoff.

There’s the minding of books, of course—over 35,000 about the Great Lakes and waters of Wisconsin—but then there’s the sharing of books through blog posts, book clubs and library programming across the state. Alongside Senior Special Librarian and Education Coordinator Anne Moser, Niehoff led lessons on shipwrecks and sturgeon and coached kids how to use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) constructed from clothes hangers.

A rising graduate student in library and information studies, Niehoff was game for it all.

One of her projects was to help coordinate the fall edition of the Maadagindan! Start Reading! book club. A collaboration between Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Wisconsin Water Library and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Maadagindan! brings together parents and educators to discuss children’s books about Ojibwe culture and language. Meetings also feature an honored guest, usually the author, illustrator or a member of the Ojibwe community who speaks to the themes or importance of the book.

Niehoff researched and helped select the four books, all of which are written by Indigenous women authors. It was difficult to choose just four. As she learned, it’s easy to get lost down the dazzling rabbit hole of books.

“Once you start searching, you keep finding,” she said.

Niehoff also wrote blog posts for the Water Library’s Aqualog blog, the first of which centers on underrepresented groups in nature. The two-part post outlines resources about the history of racism in conservation as well as organizations working to make the outdoors accessible to everyone. The second post, currently under development, will feature resources about Indigenous women in STEM.

India-Bleu Niehoff leads an activity about Great Lakes shipwrecks

Niehoff leads an activity about Great Lakes shipwrecks. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

Said Niehoff, “I’ve really enjoyed looking into stuff I’m passionate about and interested in and then accumulate it and make it something that’s available to other people.”

And let’s not forget about the shipwrecks and sturgeon. Niehoff and Moser travelled across the state, from Madison to Sheboygan to Eau Claire, delivering Great Lakes education programming for kids at local libraries. They read books, led kids in the Japanese art of gyotaku and printed fish on paper and played Great Lakes trivia. Watching Moser, Niehoff learned how to engage kids when reading aloud.

Everybody was learning something.

“Going to local communities and sharing this information [was] really enjoyable. Especially because it’s not just kids, it’s parents and whatever grown-up that’s with them,” said Niehoff.

The summer scholar experience allowed Niehoff to experience many different aspects of working at a library, from cataloguing books to leading kids in crafts. Struck by the breadth of the discipline, she’s got a lot to think about going into her first year of grad school.

Said Niehoff, “There are so many different directions you can go.”

The post Summer scholars dip toes into water-related careers: Part two first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

In: Alex Faber, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Birchline Planning, city of Ashland, Juli Beth Hinds, Linda Reid, Natalie Chin, Philomena Kebec, Sara Hudson, Superior Rivers Watershed Association, Water 365, what does housing have to do with green infrastructure webinar

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/summer-scholars-dip-toes-into-water-related-careers-part-two/

Jenna Mertz

Lack of housing looms large as barrier to nature-based jobs in northern Wisconsin

On: August 14, 2023

A report published recently by Wisconsin Sea Grant cites a lack of housing as a major barrier to development of nature-based jobs in Wisconsin’s northern tier. This includes Douglas, Ashland, Bayfield and Iron counties.

Lind Reid, owner and principal consultant with Water 365 LLC. Submitted photo.

“I like to think of this as our Forest Gump project because, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’ll get,’” said Linda Reid, owner and principal consultant with Water 365 LLC, which prepared the report along with Birchline Planning LLC. “Housing supply, housing availability, housing quality and housing costs all rose to the top as key issues for nature-based solutions and green infrastructure implementation challenges. That wasn’t something that was planned.”

The report, titled, “Workforce Needs for Nature-Based Solutions in Wisconsin’s Northern Tier,” is available for free download. The report’s findings were discussed last month during a webinar, “What Does Housing Have to do With Green Infrastructure? Workforce Needs in Northern Wisconsin.”

Reid described the topics they focused on during their interviews with people across the northern region. “We were looking at wetland restoration, urban and rural stream restoration, floodplain restoration, coastal restoration, landscape area restoration, and maintenance and culvert replacement as some of the key topics,” she said.

Three of the people interviewed for the report participated in the webinar. These included Alex Faber, executive director, Superior Rivers Watershed Association; Sara Hudson, director, city of Ashland Parks and Recreation; and Philomena Kebec, economic development coordinator, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

Hudson concurred with the report’s findings about housing. “We definitely have a housing shortage here in Ashland. The houses that are on the market need a lot of work and so most people can’t afford to buy a house in order to fix it up to where you’d want to live there,” she said.

Juli Beth Hinds, principal at Birchline Planning LLC. Submitted photo

Juli Beth Hinds, another report author and principal at Birchline Planning, added, “It’s not economical to renovate properties that are in pretty poor condition because the market for resale just isn’t high enough yet. In other words, one of the flipping shows from HGTV is not coming soon to Washburn or Ashland. Those economics aren’t working and they’re working against the region.”

Hinds also said short-term summer rentals take many homes off the market due to the area’s tourism economy.

In addition to the housing issue, the report found strong capacity, interest and strengths in the region that support use of nature-based solutions.

“Overall, the region’s public, private, educational and nonprofit leaders have an exceptional understanding of nature-based solutions and green infrastructure practices,” said Natalie Chin, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s climate and tourism outreach specialist who commissioned the report. “However, the region is held back by the sheer lack of people available to carry out this work. Also, communities need more capacity when it comes to project management. Writing grants and executing them is a full-time job just by itself for these types of projects.”

Providing employment programs for people emerging from incarceration and addiction was cited as one possible solution to green infrastructure project employment needs during the webinar.

The nature-based jobs webinar panelists. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

“There is a lack of medication-assisted treatment here. There’s a lack of support services for reintegration. That could also be a big piece in building up capacity to do nature-based solutions and build more community resilience,” Hinds said.

Kebec said the Bad River Tribe is also focused on supportive employment opportunities for people battling addiction.

Hinds concluded, “We need the environmental community’s voice in the dialogue around housing supply, around the problems of Wisconsin municipal levy limits, around addiction and incarceration and around community vitality. Often, these aren’t seen as environmental resilience issues, but they absolutely are.”

As next steps, this report recommends that Wisconsin Sea Grant and its regional partners consider options to build grant and project management capacity, address the regional housing shortage, work toward legislative reform and facilitate training that will support specific needs in the northern tier around nature-based solutions. Case studies of efforts in other rural regions are provided to illustrate successful strategies from other areas.

For more information, watch a video of the webinar on YouTube.

The post Lack of housing looms large as barrier to nature-based jobs in northern Wisconsin first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/lack-of-housing-looms-large-as-barrier-to-nature-based-jobs-in-northern-wisconsin/

In: Birchline Planning, green infrastructure report, Natalie Chin, Water 365, what does housing have to do with green infrastructure webinar, Workforce needs for nature-based solutions in Wisconsin's northern tier report

Webinar and report available about nature-based jobs in northern Wisconsin

On: June 28, 2023

Wisconsin Sea Grant is organizing a webinar and has produced a report regarding the status of nature-based jobs in Wisconsin’s northern tier, which includes Douglas, Ashland, Bayfield and Iron counties.

The webinar, “What Does Housing Have to do with Green Infrastructure? Workforce Needs in Northern Wisconsin,” is scheduled for noon-1 p.m., Tuesday July 18 on Zoom. Preregister for it here.

The report it is based on, titled, “Workforce Needs for Nature-Based Solutions in Wisconsin’s Northern Tier,” is available for free download from Wisconsin Sea Grant. It was prepared by Birchline Planning LLC and Water 365 LLC.

Natalie Chin, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s climate and tourism outreach specialist, said the report and webinar deal with projects that implement green infrastructure practices in communities. “It’s using the benefits of nature to help communities mitigate or reduce the impacts of climate change that we’re seeing because of lake levels, warming and more rain,” Chin said.

Examples of nature-based solutions include stabilizing shorelines through planting greenery instead of hardening the shoreline with concrete and installing pervious pavers in parking lots that allow water to infiltrate into the soil instead of running off into storm sewers or waterways.

The report found not only strong capacity, interest and strengths in the region that support use of nature-based solutions, but also several unexpected limitations relating to a region-wide housing shortage and limits on municipal fiscal capacity.

Natalie Chin, climate and tourism outreach specialist, Wisconsin Sea Grant. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

“Overall, the region’s public, private, educational and nonprofit leaders have an exceptional understanding of nature-based solutions and green infrastructure practices,” said Chin. “However, the region is held back by the sheer lack of people available to carry out this work. Housing availability was cited as the single most difficult limitation on recruitment. Also, communities need more capacity when it comes to project management. Writing grants and executing them is a full-time job just by itself for these types of projects.”

During the July 18 webinar, report authors Juli Beth (JB) Hinds and Linda Reid will share their key findings. This will be followed by a panel discussion where people who were interviewed for the report will share their perspectives. These include Alex Faber, executive director, Superior Rivers Watershed Association; Sara Hudson, director, City of Ashland Parks and Recreation; and Philomena Kebec, economic development coordinator, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

The post Webinar and report available about nature-based jobs in northern Wisconsin first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/webinar-and-report-available-about-nature-based-jobs-in-northern-wisconsin/

Visiting the house that sparked coastal land use setbacks

On: September 1, 2022

In: coastal erosion, Coastal Hazards of Lake Superior, Dan and Mary Schneider, Herbster, house moving, Karina Heim, Natalie Chin, Sarah Brown, Scott Galetka, Tom Fitz

This home in Herbster, Wisconsin, was moved 150 feet back from an eroding Lake Superior bluff in 2003. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

The dynamics of land and water were on display for members of the Coastal Hazards of Superior (CHAOS) group when they toured Lake Superior’s South Shore at a homesite in Herbster, Wisconsin, last week. The home, now owned by Dan and Mary Schneider, was moved 20 years ago farther inland from an eroding lake bluff in one of the first efforts to address coastal home erosion and establish setback distances in Bayfield County.

Homeowner Dan Schneider shows CHAOS tour participants some eroding bluff east of his home. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

The tour was organized and led by CHAOS Coordinator Sarah Brown and Karina Heim, coastal training coordinator with the National Lake Superior Estuarine Research Reserve. It featured talks by homeowner Dan Schneider, Northland College Professor of Geoscience Tom Fitz, and Bayfield County Land Records Administrator Scott Galetka, who is also a member of Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Outreach and Education Committee.

I was one of the lucky tour participants along with Natalie Chin, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s climate and tourism outreach specialist.

Schneider, who has owned the 52-acre property since 2019, said he was happy to open his homesite for the tour. “The area’s got such an incredible geological history and cultural history, for us, it’s amazing to live here.”

He showed us where the house was originally situated, right on the edge of the 150-foot bluff. It now lies 150 feet farther back. The bluff was eroding from Lake Superior waves at the bottom and from stormwater runoff and groundwater flow at the top.

Moving the 3-bedroom home was a major undertaking. “They (the original owners) found a mover, but then they had to deal with the potable water supply, the electrical supply and the sanitary sewer,” Schneider said.

The spot where the house was moved to offered its own challenges in the form of shallow groundwater. Swales were installed along with drain tiles, ditches and a pond to keep the water from flowing into the house.

This is the bluff overlooking Lake Superior that was the original site of the home. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Schneider said that not much erosion had occurred on the bluff since the home was moved, but that a bluff east of the house had been eroding actively. We walked about 200 feet in that direction for a view. Dirt and gravel tumbled down the slopes, which were bare of vegetation.

Fitz explained that the slopes were composed of clay and sand, remnants of the last stages of glaciation about 14,000 years ago. “There’s contact between clay of the Miller Creek Formation and sand from the Copper Falls Formation about 15 feet down,” Fitz said. “That contact is probably playing an important role in the stability of this bluff – or rather, the instability.” This sand-clay interaction characterizes much of the geology of Lake Superior’s South Shore.

Geology in action — a tour participant peers down into an eroding bluff on the Schneider property. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Fitz described how groundwater was moving along the top of the clay layer and coming out of the side of the bluff, forming erosion. “What we see here is obvious evidence of the power of moving water,” he said, citing clay around the house for the groundwater issues that Schneider has noticed there.

“What we have here is a big, ‘wow.’ Geology in action,” Fitz said.

The good news is that Schneider’s house is safe from erosion thanks to its current setback from the bluff. The bad news is that the eastern ravine is eroding.

Schneider said that when he purchased the property, he noticed the erosion in the ravine, but it didn’t bother him. “I knew in my lifetime I wouldn’t need to worry about it. The privilege of living out here was worth it,” he said.

Back at a picnic table near the original bluff, we heard from Galetka, who explained how Bayfield County tracks coastal land changes over time. One of the ways he currently uses is a drone equipped with a 35 mm camera.

“I began this job in 2007. I’ve seen this program of setbacks and the importance of making sure we have science backing up where homes should go behind the bluff,” Galetka said. “This was the site that sparked everything. It was kind of like the poster child.”

CHAOS Coordinator Sarah Brown (left) and Wisconsin Sea Grant Climate and Tourism Outreach Specialist, Natalie Chin (right) look at photos of the home-moving process with Northland College Geoscience Professor Tom Fitz. Bayfield County Land Records Administrator Scott Galetka is in the background. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

The wind was too stiff for Galetka to demonstrate his drone, but that allowed us to have a close look as it rested on the picnic table. He said that technology has advanced greatly since the home was originally moved and that data sets are much more accurate now.

We came away from the tour with a greater appreciation for the intricacies involved in how land and water interact, and admiration for the forethought required to preserve a beautiful Lake Superior home.

For more information about coastal erosion along the South Shore and to hear from Jane Bucy, the original owner of the Schneider home, about the house-moving process, you can watch a YouTube video of the CHAOS group’s June 2022 meeting.

The post Visiting the house that sparked coastal land use setbacks first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

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How climate action can change lives

On: January 4, 2022

In: Natalie Chin, Wisconsin tourism and climate change

By Eva Ryan, University of Wisconsin-Madison

I recently interviewed Natalie Chin, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s climate and tourism outreach specialist. In light of Sea Grant’s 50th anniversary, Chin gave me insight into some of the ways her specialty has changed in the past 50 years, and how she hopes to see it progress in the next 50.

Natalie Chin enjoys a winter sport in the Superior Municipal Forest, Superior, Wis. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Chin connects science regarding climate and tourism with key audiences not only in Wisconsin, but also nationally. “With my work, I hope to improve lives while also protecting the environment,” said Chin. Some of her focuses include community outreach, research and other administrative duties.

When asked about changes in the fields of climate and tourism, data was one specific detail that stuck out to Chin. “I feel like the amount of data we have is growing exponentially,” she said, “and also our understanding of the environment and how processes work, how things fit together and general advancements of science.”

Chin works to navigate the most pertinent and accurate climate information to pass along to the tourism industry. This process isn’t always straightforward because of long-term and short-term uncertainties in climate data. Nevertheless, it is important to sort through misinformation and dated information so she can provide the most accurate facts.

Chin also touched on the intersection of scientific discovery coupled with people and policymaking. While scientific fact is objective, the way in which we implement that information into society can be influenced by our values. There is a continuous need for balance between making good scientific decisions and thinking about the impacts those decisions have on people. In addition to changing societal values, “this desire to keep advancing and gaining knowledge is something that’s driving science and discovery,” Chin said.

Looking into the next 50 years of her specialty, Chin focused on social and environmental justice. “I hope that we continue to value the voices of the most vulnerable or marginalized, especially when it comes to climate change. Those are the people who are going to be impacted the most,” Chin said. Bringing her own values to the table, Chin expressed the wish that no one should feel disposable, forgotten or unseen.

Chin noted a project focused on climate migration that she had been working on, thinking about people who live on coasts. These are people who will be disproportionally affected by sea-level rise but perhaps have neither the ability nor the desire to move because of a deep connection to place. This is just one example of how climate change and environmental justice intersect. Environmental racism in America and across the world is one perspective on the issue, which has economic and health implications.

Hopefully, in the next 50 years we will see major improvements in America’s climate action and policy. And with people like Natalie Chin working toward this goal, I think the future is looking bright.

The post How climate action can change lives first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

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Wisconsin Sea Grant

Outdoor guide online training program offered for free

On: October 11, 2021

In: GORP Wisconsin, Guide and Outfitter Recognized Professional, Natalie Chin, Oregon Sea Grant, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Kayakers receive instructions from their guide before a trip in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

A new international training program for outdoor guides and outfitters is now available online for northwestern Wisconsin. The program, named Guide and Outfitter Recognized Professional (GORP) is being offered by Wisconsin Sea Grant in conjunction with Oregon Sea Grant.

GORP content was developed with input from professional guides, educators and tourism organizations. It’s aligned with best practices recommended by the Adventure Travel Trade Association. With completion of the program, experienced guides and outfitters will be recognized for their existing knowledge and information on a wide range of topics and best practices, demonstrating the value of their guiding services over competitors to potential clients. For aspiring guides, it will provide a great foundation for their future business.

GORP consists of four online modules that participants are encouraged to complete within a month, although there is flexibility. These are augmented by optional live webinars conducted by Oregon Sea Grant Extension staff. The next course begins Monday, Nov. 1, and it is free. Future course offerings will have costs associated with them. Although the course is geared toward northwestern Wisconsin, registration is open to all and may be helpful to guides in other parts of Wisconsin, too.

Course content covers a broad range of knowledge and skills that guides can use to improve client experiences, including identification of 101 local species of plants and animals, knowledge of local history, natural resource agencies, tourism organizations and economic impacts, group management, customer service, sustainability, marketing, personal interpretation skills and more.

Those completing the GORP program will be awarded a certification and a package of marketing benefits including: a GORP branded shirt, GORP logo vinyl for boat or truck, special listing on the GORP website, and other online marketing services.

Development of Wisconsin’s GORP program was led by Natalie Chin, climate and tourism outreach specialist for Wisconsin Sea Grant. For more information or to register, visit the GORP site and choose the Wisconsin program.

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Sea Grant staffer appointed to Wisconsin Council on Tourism

On: July 30, 2021

In: Governor Tony Evers, Natalie Chin, Wisconsin Council on Tourism

Natalie Chin, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Climate and Tourism Outreach Specialist based in Superior, was recently appointed by Governor Tony Evers to the Wisconsin Council on Tourism.

“We’re working to make sure our state and our economy continue to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, and the Wisconsin Council on Tourism will play an important role in advising the Secretary of the Department of Tourism in the weeks and months ahead,” said Governor Evers. “Our tourism industry and workforce are a critical part of our state’s economy, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done through my first two budgets and targeted federal assistance to help support tourism in Wisconsin and ensure this industry can bounce back from this pandemic.”

Natalie Chin. Image credit: Bonnie Willison, Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Chin works on issues related to climate change, tourism and outdoor recreation within the context of the sustainable use of the Great Lakes. She also serves as one of the North Central Region representatives for the National Extension Tourism Network; is co-leading the Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Working Group for the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts; and is a member of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion Committee.

“It’s truly an honor to be appointed to the council,” Chin said. “The Great Lakes are a key part of the state’s tourism industry and will certainly play an important role in its recovery. I can’t wait to contribute to the council’s efforts to support and advise the Department of Tourism.”

Evers also appointed three others to the Wisconsin Council on Tourism:

Mary McPhetridge (Reappointment) is the Executive Director of the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce. A pillar of the Wisconsin tourism industry for more than 20 years, she serves in multiple leadership roles locally and with the state. In addition to serving on the Council on Tourism, she currently serves on the state’s marketing committee. Prior to her current role, Mary taught Hospitality Management classes for technical college and high school students and served as Executive Rooms Director at the Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club.

Dr. Robert “Bert” Davis, DVM (Reappointment) is the President and CEO of America’s Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee and serves as a board member at the Association of African American Museums. Davis also serves as the principal of DRMD Strategies LLC, a nonprofit strategic consulting firm with expertise in the areas of diversity, equity, collaborative alliances, communications, animal health and diversity, inclusion planning and implementation, and is the former President and CEO of the Zoological Society of Milwaukee. Dr. Davis is a co-chair of the Department’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion committee.
Denise Stillman (New Member) is the co-owner of Foremost Management Services, Inc., a hospitality consulting firm in Door County, and the co-owner/operator of Parkwood Lodge in Fish Creek. Denise has been active in Door County tourism for over 30 years. She is a past Chair and Board member of the Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association and currently serves as the Board President of Visit Fish Creek.

The 21-member council, which includes 14 gubernatorial appointees and 7 ex-officio members, represents varied geography and wide-ranging expertise that includes, but is not limited to, recreation and attraction business owners, hospitality and service industry business owners, convention and visitor bureaus, economic development specialists, industry thought leaders, legislators and leaders of arts, historic and cultural destinations. Despite the pandemic, the tourism industry supported more than 157,000 jobs and drove $17.3 billion in total business sales in 2020.

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Keillor Fellow will enhance flood resilience in Wisconsin communities

On: June 15, 2021

In: Adam Bechle, Climate change, Department of Health Services, flood resilience, Flood Resilience Scorecard, flooding, Floods, Jackson Parr, Keillor Fellow, Keillor Fellowship, Margaret Thelen, Natalie Chin, public healh

Making tracks is nothing new for Jackson Parr, the J. Philip Keillor Flood Resilience-Wisconsin Sea Grant Fellow. A serious athlete who once committed to walking across the entire United States (his plan has morphed to running it in segments), he has also traversed the scenic towns of Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula as a newspaper reporter and editor.

Jackson Parr (Photo: Len Villano)

Now, he’s getting acquainted with dozens of small communities statewide to help them build resilience to flooding hazards.

Parr began his one-year Keillor Fellowship in April. The position stems from a partnership between Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Climate and Health Program at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).

He’ll work extensively with the Flood Resilience Scorecard, a toolkit that measures how well prepared a community is to cope with the effects of flooding—and identifies steps they can take to boost that preparedness.

The Illinois native brings a varied set of skills to this work. Parr holds two master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison: one in public affairs and one in water resources management. His capstone project for the water resources degree involved analyzing the severe flooding of Coon Creek in Vernon County in August 2018. The project was suggested and advised by UW research scientist Eric Booth.

The village of Coon Valley was downstream from the breached dams during the August 2018 flood event. (Photo: John Lee)

“There were a few dam breaches in that region during that flooding event, and it devastated the area,” said Parr. Flash flooding brought on by torrential rains displaced residents and caused major damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure. “While I didn’t have an academic interest in flooding before working on that capstone project,” said Parr, “I found myself fascinated with the ways that rural communities navigate these issues.”

As he noted, sometimes smaller communities lack the administrative capacity or technical expertise required to fully address issues or tap into available funding sources that might help them. As a Keillor Fellow, Parr will be in a position to link communities with needed resources.

By March 2022, when his fellowship concludes, Parr hopes to have worked through the Flood Resilience Scorecard with 30 communities. Those locations will be chosen through collaboration with Wisconsin’s nine regional planning commissions.

First rolled out in 2019, the scorecard focuses on three key areas that affect a community’s resilience to flooding: environmental factors (such as precipitation patterns and soil composition), institutional factors (such as city planning documents) and social factors. Social factors include the socioeconomic makeup of the community, which may affect what happens after flooding.

“Since this effort is a partnership with the Department of Health Services, they’re definitely interested in the public health aspect of flooding. Demographic data is important in considering populations that might have socioeconomic vulnerabilities that would exacerbate their health outcomes related to flooding,” said Parr.

As an example, he noted that residents in low-income communities often lack the resources to find other housing when displaced. As a result, those populations face not only physical injuries related to flooding, like blunt-force trauma and hypothermia, but extreme stress and other mental health impacts.

“The goal is to identify communities that face these vulnerabilities and hopefully target more resources toward those communities to achieve health equity,” he said.

As Parr conducts this work, he has a trio of mentors. At DHS, he reports to Climate and Health Program Coordinator Margaret Thelen. On the Sea Grant side, he’s working with Climate and Tourism Outreach Specialist Natalie Chin and Coastal Engineering Specialist Adam Bechle.

Said Thelen, “The partnership between the Department of Health Services and Sea Grant has allowed us to work together to integrate our flood resiliency tools for local decision makers. These resources allow Wisconsin to better prepare for and respond to increased extreme precipitation events due to climate change. We are fortunate to have Jackson Parr, through the Keillor Fellowship, working to improve these tools and make them more accessible to municipalities across the state.”

Parr in his triathlon days. Though he no longer competes, he’s running across the United States in segments. (Submitted photo)

As university travel restrictions related to the pandemic ease, Parr hopes to complete in-person assessments, arranging visits to work through the scorecard with elected officials, administrators and planning staff in the selected communities.

“There’s a huge value in having these conversations face to face; it takes collaboration from people of different backgrounds” who actually live in those communities, said Parr.

But completing the scorecard with a community is not an end point, Parr stressed. Rather, he hopes it is a springboard for taking action.

“While community leaders would immediately get some high-level recommendations on ways to improve resilience, I’d go back and look through our conversations and come back to the municipality and work with them on implementing recommendations. It’s a whole other ballgame to actually pass an ordinance or apply for a grant or participate in a buyout program. The goal is for communities to act on the recommendations they receive,” said Parr.

Parr can be reached at jackson.parr@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

The post Keillor Fellow will enhance flood resilience in Wisconsin communities first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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Jennifer Smith

Flood Resilience Scorecard can help communities plan for high water

On: November 16, 2020

In: Emma Holtan, Flood Resilience Scorecard, Margaret Thelen, Natalie Chin

Flooding in Wisconsin. Image credit: Wisconsin Emergency Management

The annual amount of rain and snowfall is rising in Wisconsin. Over the past 70 years, the intensity of storms has increased, bringing more rain in a shorter amount of time, which can lead to flooding. To help communities cope and prepare, Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has developed a Flood Resilience Scorecard.

Emma Holtan. Submitted photo

Emma Holtan, flood resilience intern with the DHS Climate and Health Program, described the new proactive tool. “Basically, it’s a comprehensive questionnaire that a local official can move through with a team of assembled staff, experts and community members. Together, they move through three different parts of the scorecard that address different aspects of their community and the way they relate to flood resilience.”

The three modules address environmental features of flood vulnerability, sustainable community policies and plans, and building social resilience. Although the scorecard questionnaire is in-depth, the answers are multiple choice and resources are provided in the document for reference.

Holtan was hired this past May with the goal of working with the community of Washburn, Wisconsin, to test-run the scorecard by completing it with Washburn staff. The necessity of social distancing changed those plans.

Margaret Thelen, DHS climate and health program manager, said, “We had Emma complete it on her own with very little familiarity with the municipality. She completed it in about eight hours. That’s with looking up municipal code, reading through social media, reading through websites. If you’ve ever looked through municipal code – ooof! So, bless her for doing that. If a local planner or emergency manager or a local public health official were to complete it, they could do it in less time if they knew where to look and who to ask for the scorecard questions.”

Margaret Thelen. Submitted photo.

Thelen said the idea for the scorecard came from Sea Grant’s Coastal Resilience Self-Assessment. This project is designed for communities in southeastern Wisconsin that are heavily impacted by coastal storms, fluctuating Lake Michigan water levels and erosion.

“Sea Grant got brought in because we were working on very similar products,” Thelen said. “We could share best practices and share what works. They’ve been an invaluable partner on this project.”

Even if a community’s score is low after going through the process, Holtan said that’s all right. “If your score is lower or doesn’t meet a certain favorable threshold, then there’s a list of recommendations that you or your community may choose to implement if you have the necessary funding and resources. So, it’s really a tool that helps prioritize actions that will make your community more flood resilient and does so in a more holistic and comprehensive way, which I think is really cool.”

Holtan and Thelen said plans are in the works to make the scoring process more interactive. They also plan to develop a listing of funding sources for communities to make changes, a facilitation guide and a database of scorecard outcomes.

Holtan said the effort to complete the scorecard is worth it. “I feel like in Wisconsin we’re relatively safe from a lot of climate disasters that we’re seeing, but flooding is creeping up on us pretty fast and could be extremely detrimental. The opportunity to use this tool in the planning process of preparing for the climate changing is amazing. You get an in-depth look at your community in a way that most other tools don’t ask you to do. It’s to a community’s benefit to use this tool and to work together to prepare for a future that is safer for everybody.”

The scorecard was recently presented by Holtan and Natalie Chin, Wisconsin Sea Grant climate and tourism outreach specialist, at a Coastal Hazards of (Lake) Superior meeting. A PDF of the scorecard and individual models can be downloaded from the website.

If your community is interested in partnering with Sea Grant to go through the scorecard or has already completed it, let Chin know by emailing: nchin5@aqua.wisc.edu.

The post Flood Resilience Scorecard can help communities plan for high water first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

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A touch of wilderness near the city: The Superior Municipal Forest

On: March 10, 2020

In: Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve, Michael K Anderson, Natalie Chin, Superior Municipal Forest

Michael Anderson, Natalie Chin and Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve member Ruben enjoy a hike through the Superior Municipal Forest. Image by Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant.

As we walked across the frozen bay, a dark shape appeared. Nearing, we could see a large chunk of deer hide lying wrinkled in the snow like a rich lady’s carelessly discarded fur coat.

Were we deep in the wilderness? No. We were just a 15-minute drive outside of Superior.

My Sea Grant coworker, Natalie Chin, and I were treated to a tour of the Superior Municipal Forest last week, courtesy of the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve group and naturalist Mike Anderson.

This green gem offers 4,400 acres of the best remaining example of a boreal forest in Wisconsin and it’s the third largest municipal forest in the country.

Although I’d driven through the forest several times, I’d never had time to actually walk out into it. So, I jumped at the opportunity for this outing, and invited Chin, who is new to the area.

Two trees killed by shoreline erosion on Kimball’s Bay. Image by Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant.

We met in a parking lot for a motorized winter trail. With snowshoes and highwater boots on, we hiked with several other Friends members down the trail to a frozen bay, which Anderson told us was Kimball’s Bay. All was quiet except for the crunching of snow under our boot. We found several old red pines on the shore that had fallen recently, their trunks snapped due to high water levels in the St. Louis River, which caused the shore to erode. The trees leaned and leaned until they could lean no further, and snapped from the extreme physical forces.

Along the way, Anderson described the history of the area. Although the ends of many of the peninsulas that poke into the bay are developed with homes, the municipal forest is preserved from development. Anderson was active in efforts to protect the area. Only cross-county ski trails, hiking trails and a campsite point to human use of the forest.

We trekked across to the other shoreline, passing an ice angler and coyote tracks. Two deer bounded across the ice ahead of us. We clambered up and over another point onto Cedar Bay, which is a narrower inlet. A short walk led us to the dark shape of the slain deer in the snow.

Deer hide in the snow. Image by Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Soon, it was time to return to our cars and the demands of urban life. Reluctantly, we headed back, savoring views of a slanting setting sun and a rising waxing moon.

The Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve hopes to organize more tours come spring. The group acts as ambassadors and supporters for the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve – the same folks in the building where our Sea Grant Lake Superior Field Office is located. They are a nonprofit group of volunteers who love the St. Louis River Estuary and work to highlight its importance to the community. They even help with the reserve’s science projects sometimes. Find out more about what they do here. If all this sounds interesting to you, consider joining their group. It might give you a whole new perspective.

Besides being a great guide, Anderson is an accomplished nature and event photographer. You can view some of his municipal forest and St. Louis River images here:

Deep fall paddle

St. Louis River

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/a-touch-of-wilderness-near-the-city-the-superior-municipal-forest/