The City of Rock Island and Augustana College are partnering to conduct a years-long ecological study of the Southwest Rock Island Wetlands as officials work toward establishing the area as a protected Land and Water Reserve.

A public informational meeting about their partnership was hosted on May 5 in Hanson Hall at Augustana. The project will involve Augustana students and faculty collecting ecological data and monitoring wildlife. 

The Southwest Rock Island Wetlands spans about 550 acres of city-owned wetland habitat located south of the confluence of the Mississippi and Rock rivers.

Senior Kaitlyn Troha, a member of the Upper Mississippi Center ecology team, said the partnership has already created opportunities for hands-on research, which she believes students should take advantage of.

“This is already providing opportunities for students to kind of get out into the field and do all of these different kinds of research, using new technology that [we’ve] never used before,” Troha said.

Research efforts will include monitoring wildlife, collecting water quality data and surveying plant identification throughout the wetlands area. 

Dr. Michael Reisner, associate professor of environmental studies at Augustana and the director of the Upper Mississippi Studies Center, said that a big part of the project is about the student experience. 

It really is creating an opportunity for students to engage in real-world research that’s on the ground and try to make a difference in their community while they’re studying at Augustana,” Reisner said. 

Students involved in the project will conduct research using motion-sensor wildlife cameras, bird bioacoustic detectors, test water quality and conduct tree identification surveys. 

Reisner said the project gives students the opportunity to work directly on environmental issues that affect the community. 

“The city has some needs, and we have expertise on our faculty and students, and it’s a great place where if the community has needs, we can transform it into a real hands-on learning experience for students at Augustana,” Reisner said.

One of Augustana’s learning objectives is for students to be involved in the community. This program is an opportunity for students to get involved in the community while also getting hands-on experience. 

“There’s a whole bunch of things happening, and it is a fantastic opportunity for Augustana students. I don’t know that many other schools will have this kind of chance to do that,” Troha said.