St. Louis River Summit Presentation - Partnering for Science: Best Practices and New Opportunities for Participatory Science

Minnesota Sea Grant and community partners will be presenting a session on "Partnering for Science: Best Practices and New Opportunities for Participatory Science" during the Connect & Collaborate session during the 16th Annual St. Louis River Summit, hosted by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve.
 
This interactive “Connect and Collaborate” session brings together Summit participants to share opportunities and co-create a roadmap for successful participatory science efforts in and around the St. Louis River Estuary.
 
The St. Louis River Summit is a multi-day opportunity to learn and share about the St. Louis River. It provides a diversity of solutions and strategies for a healthy St. Louis River watershed and nourishes the community with education and outreach opportunities. Since 2010, the St. Louis River Summit has brought together key regional audiences.
 

When
Tuesday, March 4, 2026
3:30 - 5:00 p.m. CT

Location
Yellowjacket Union
1605 Catlin Ave.
Superior, WI 54880

Registration
Registration is required for this event.

Presenters

  • Hilarie Sorensen, Minnesota Sea Grant Water Resources Extension Educator
  • Kelsey Prihoda, Minnesota Sea Grant Great Lakes Transportation Extension Educator 
  • Madison Rodman, Minnesota Sea Grant Resilience Extension Educator
  • Tiffany Sprague, Natural Resources Research Institute Organizational Development Manager
  • Kirstin Stutzman, MPCA Volunteer Water Monitoring Program Specialist
  • Courtney Kowalczak, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Environmental Institute Director
     

Presentation Abstract
This session invites Summit participants into a collaborative space to demystify the process of volunteer engagement and incorporating volunteer-collected data into research and monitoring initiatives. For this 90-minute session, we will kick off the discussion with a mini-panel of lightning talks to highlight past and ongoing participatory science initiatives in the area before moving into an interactive discussion about what makes a successful participatory science project. Highlighted projects will include recent efforts on identifying drowning hotspots, monitoring harmful algal blooms and chloride, and monitoring phenology in northeast Minnesota. Through hands-on activities, participants will co-create a set of best practices and discuss the nuances of volunteer incentives, training, and meaningful engagement. We will also highlight upcoming opportunities for volunteer engagement in science, providing opportunities for prospective volunteers to engage with researchers. Whether you are a researcher looking for a team or someone looking to get involved in your community through volunteering, you will leave this session with new partners and a clearer path forward. Session facilitators will compile the session’s findings into a shared resource list and best practices summary to drive future successes and ensure these conversations turn into action. 

Event Hosts
This event is hosted by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Contact
Hilarie Sorensen, Minnesota Sea Grant Water Resources Extension Educator. [email protected]. 

Image credit: NOAA News. 

Related Outreach Projects

Community Resilience Program