Great Lakes Crayfish Monitoring Workshop

To increase crayfish monitoring capacity across the Great Lakes basin, Michigan State University and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant are partnering to offer four full-day workshops designed for natural resource management agencies and conservation professionals located throughout the Great Lakes states. These workshops aim to strengthen regional coordination and improve crayfish identification in both wild populations and the live trade. Workshops will be led by expert aquatic ecologists and crayfish professionals.

Participants will learn:

How to identify high-priority crayfish species through hands-on activities.
Crayfish introduction pathways and regulations.
State-specific reporting lines and rapid response efforts.
Common crayfish sampling techniques, with the option to practice in the field at a nearby waterbody.

Workshop Dates & Locations:

Friday, September 5 (Buffalo, NY) – in partnership with WNY PRISM and the Great Lakes Center
Buffalo State Great Lakes Center Field Station, 196 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14201 – 25 spots

Wednesday, October 1 (St. Charles, IL)
Creek Bend Nature Center, 37W700 Dean St, Saint Charles, IL 60175 – 35 spots

Thursday, October 2 (Jackson, MI)
Cascades Manor, 1970 Kibby Rd, Jackson, MI 49203 – 35 spots

Tuesday, October 7 (Lanesboro, MN)
Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, 28097 Goodview Dr, Lanesboro, MN 55949 – 35 spots

Cost: Free–Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Registration Deadline: Two weeks before each workshop date.

Open to Great Lakes natural resource agency staff and conservation professionals.

What to bring: Please bring a laptop, notebook, and water. If you plan on participating in the optional crayfish sampling, please dress for the weather and bring your own waders/knee boots/shoes you don’t mind getting wet.

REGISTER TODAY! https://forms.gle/oFdmKnSuWHQzbZfEA

Michigan State University Extension and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant provide programs that are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status. If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in programming, please contact Natalia Szklaruk at szklaruk@illinois.edu or by phone at 217-265-4021.