Every once in a while, KPL staff do things that are so cool that we just have to share them with the world.  

Meet Megan!

Megan is a Teen Librarian whose talents are hard to summarize in a single paragraph.  You’ll often find her at Southwest’s Teen Space, joking with teens after school…but you might also discover her doing a ton of other things, like:

• Working with local tweens and teens on projects like local history podcasts
• Writing grants for innovative new programs, including our deposit library at the Shalom Center
• Selecting books for our YA Fiction, Adult Romance, and Adult Inspirational collections
• Making her voice heard through the American Library Association, where she’s been on the selection committees for the Alex Awards and the Best Fiction For Young Adults list
• Presenting on her work at major conferences around the country!

What has Megan been up to?

At the end of August, Megan spent two full days with Wisconsin Sea Grant, learning all about coastal engineering and soil erosion.  The program was designed for literacy professionals (librarians, teachers, etc.) to learn the science of shorelines and incorporate it into their everyday work.  Megan had to apply for this opportunity, and we’re so proud that she was selected to participate!

Read on for an exclusive interview with our colleague about her experiences!

Questions we had for her

What did you do on your trip?

We learned about how coastal erosion occurs, the ways we try to prevent or mitigate it, and the consequences of doing that mitigation. It was really about putting all those pieces together, and realizing how powerful Lake Michigan is.  Half of every day was spent on the lake, in the R/V Neeskay.

Every minute, we were learning something, and we were really only scratching the surface!  Every day, I came home completely exhausted and ready to go to bed.  But it was the good kind of tired.  

Did you get seasick?

Yes, a little bit. It was rough at times, but I used Dramamine and got through it.

Did you have to sleep on the ship?

Nope!  They do have grants where you live on a boat for a week, but my stomach would not be able to handle that.  

Did being on the water smell good or bad?

It was fine. Some of the stuff they pulled up where the Kinnickinnic River flows into Lake Michigan smelled bad, but it was the day after a lot of storms.  It was thick and gross, with a lot of silt, but that was to be expected.

What was the most interesting fact you learned on your trip?

Salmon are not native to Wisconsin. I grew up with Coho-a-Rama and hearing about going fishing for salmon, so that blew my mind.

How has going on this trip affected your work?

I have so many great ideas for different programs I want to do, particularly making wave tanks to simulate coastal erosion, because it’ll allow people to see firsthand how Lake Michigan affects our shoreline.  

And I think just getting people excited about it. I felt like I was doing #science when I was out there! It was a great reminder that you don’t have to be a scientist to observe the world around you - you can engage in citizen science and learn about the Great Lakes even if you don’t have a fancy science degree

How has it changed your relationship with the lake?

Instead of just being afraid of rip currents in the lake or hanging out on the beach, I can look at it and identify coastal erosion now, as well as the measures taken to mitigate coastal erosion.  If I see a picture of a house affected by erosion, I can understand how it happened, and how land loss can progress in such a short time.  

Where can readers learn more?

• Wisconsin Sea Grant focuses on Great Lakes science and supports teachers and students interested in learning more about the lakes
• The Wisconsin Water Library lets any Wisconsin resident check out books and education kits to learn more about our lakes and rivers. You can do your own experiments or share them with your kids or students.
• If you’re thinking about college, you should look at the UW School of Freshwater Sciences. Coastal engineering is really important to our area, and it’s only going to become more important in the future!
• Or you can email me at mnigh@mykpl.info!  I can point you toward other resources.