Outreach
The NTL community is dedicated to scientific education and outreach. We take great pride in engaging with community members through a variety of activities. Our team believes in fostering a strong connection between science and society, and we accomplish this by actively participating in enriching conversations with the public, giving public talks, collaborating with school groups, organizing workshops, and offering expert opinions on Wisconsin water issues.
Whether you are curious about our latest research endeavors or seeking educational opportunities, we are excited to share our knowledge and passion with you. Please contact Helen Schlimm at Hasler Lab or Carrie Kissman at Trout Lake Station to learn more about outreach and event opportunities.
Hasler Lab and TLS Open House
Our open house events are the perfect opportunity to get a first-hand look at what research is going on at the Center for Limnology, as well as meet the scientists and students conducting it!
Please see https://limnology.wisc.edu/news-events/open-house/ for more information.
Virtually visit our NTL-LTER lakes year-round from the comfort of your own smartphone screen through two new mobile scavenger hunts. Inspired by long-term ecological research and equipped with interactive trivia, two different tracks – one in northern Wisconsin and the other down south will take players’ love of lakes to a whole new level. Download the Actionbound App on your smartphone and use the QR codes below to start exploring the northern (left code) and southern (right code) lakes!
Drawing Water
Since 2013 NTL has been supporting Trout Lake Station to welcome artists to work alongside scientists and students. Each year 3-5 artists visit the station and work with our scientists and students, creating work along the boundaries of arts and sciences. Staying for up to 2 weeks, the artists explore area lakes and rivers, visit research sites, and learn about scientific work and methods. Scientists and students gain insights into the artists’ creative processes and perspectives. Collaborative work across the arts and sciences is encouraged and artwork is shared with the public. In some ways, this work provides a catalog of human responses to science, change, and the lakes and rivers of our region both for current and future generations enjoyment and learning.
Drawing Water: The Next Generation
In 2023 a new partnership between Scientists, Artists, and Students formed. The goal of this new art and science collaboration is to demonstrate the beauty of the natural world and the scientific process; bridge communication and interest for varied groups of people; and encourage the next generation to link art and science to generate a richer and wider value system. Partners at Trout Lake Station, the Lac du Flambeau Tribal Natural Resources Department, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Northern Highland Fishery Research Area, and local artists are mentoring student interns to work at the boundary of art and science, offer educational opportunities to the community, and improve their craft. The summer includes a two-day middle-school art camp planned by the interns and a traveling exhibit will take place in the summer of 2024 to share the work that the scientists, artists, and students have accomplished.
Please see https://drawingwater.weebly.com for more information.
PhIN (Phenological Workshops for Indigenous Peoples in Limnology)
As a collaboration between NTL, Trout Lake Station, and the Lac du Flambeau (LDF) Tribe’s Tribal Natural Resources Department (TNR), PhIN is a series of seasonal workshops over the course of three years that focus on aquatic life in the northern Great Lakes region. Workshops will focus topics such as: aquatic plants & animals, lake chemistry, data sovereignty, community-based research, etc. Aquatic plants and animals that are food resources, of research interest, and have a cultural and socio-economic impact for peoples in the region will be the focus. Individuals will gain hands-on training in collecting limnological information and in working with these respective species.