The Freshwater Collaborative annual FresH2O Partner Event brings together faculty and staff from the 13 Universities of Wisconsin to discuss water challenges and workforce development in Wisconsin with current and prospective partners from industry, government agencies, tribal nations, K-12 schools, and nonprofit and advocacy groups.
The event was held at the UW-Madison Pyle Center on Sept. 27, 2024, from 1:00-6:30 p.m. Nearly 100 people registered. Speakers from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection presented on Wisconsin’s water priorities. Attendees then participated in facilitated sessions on PFAS, water policy, creating K-12 outreach programs, and building partnerships. Descriptions of the sessions are below.
Following the breakout sessions, participants were invited to Connections & Conversations, a networking event where they could dive into deeper conversations with people whom they met during the breakout sessions.
Developing Successful Freshwater Programs with K-12 Students and Educators
Participants heard about successful K-12 outreach programs at UW-Green Bay, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout, and UW-Whitewater. They then discussed challenges to creating and maintaining such programs as well as the desire for a statewide hub to house contacts and opportunities for K-12/university collaborations.
Key takeaways:
- There has been significant success with university faculty working with individual K-12 educators to create freshwater science opportunities.
- Universities would like to to provide opportunities to engage a wider range of K-12 students (currently limited by student’s accessibility and interests).
- There is desire for a central hub of information/communication for K-12 educators, university educators, private and public organizations. A stewardship network would also be helpful for funding for equipment.
- It’s important to reach students before high school to tell them about water science as a career.
Freshwater Collaborative Water Policy Network Meeting
This session was hosted by staff from the Center for Water Policy and leaders of the Freshwater Collaborative Water Policy Network. Participants heard from Jim Zellmer, Division Administrator, Environmental Management; and Julie Majerus, Environmental Justice Policy Advisor, both at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The group discussed the need for more research to inform policy decisions in the state and the need to involve more diverse stakeholders.
Key takeaways:
- More research is needed to create good policy on many aspects of new and emerging contaminants; however, there isn’t proper funding or staffing resources.
- Environmental justice is a statewide priority. It is important to involve communities in policy and to consider diverse voices when communicating information and addressing community concerns.
- Making everyone more aware of environmental concerns and safety is critical.
- PFAS will continue to be a primary topic of conversation in the water policy world.
Creating Partnerships that Expand Freshwater Research and Workforce Development
The group learned about how UW Oshkosh Environmental Research and Innovation Center (ERIC) and Grasslands 2.0 have developed successful partnerships with diverse stakeholders. Participants discussed barriers to and opportunities for collaborations among universities and external partners.
Key takeaways:
- It’s important to assess the entirety of a research project and get ideas from the community before proceeding.
- Making connections is essential to breaking down barriers. Barriers include administrative hierarchies that cause universities to move slower than businesses; lack of facilities and time.
- It’s important for students to participate in meetings with partners and research that directly connects them to community members. They need applied learning a real-world projects.
PFAS Collaboration Group Working Session
Participants broke into two groups: a networking/research discussion group and a group to plan a white paper. The networking group discussed areas of research and research needs involving environmental toxicity and source/fate/transport. The white paper group outlined what information should be included and how to go about getting the information.
Key takeaways:
- Challenges include limited funding for research and testing, effective communication of PFAS information among researchers and with the public, staff turnover at government agencies, differences in state and federal PFAS limits, and difficulties in determining sources of contamination/legacy contamination.
- The Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene can run tests using EPA guidelines. State lab testing is expensive, but the lab can work with universities to keep costs down.
- There are differences between state and federal government in the way PFAS are regulated/tested, which can be confusing for the public and researchers alike.
- More effective science communication of PFAS issues to the public is needed, but there are challenges in identifying who should lead communications and how communicate best with different audiences.
- There are many opportunities for collaboration between university, private sector, and government labs to complete research.
- Current research gaps around source/fate/transport include PFBA on the west side of Wisconsin, PFAS in sediment and fish, and groundwater geology.
- Current research gaps around environmental toxicity include mixture work, translational research and human health impacts.