Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon

The University of Illinois-Springfield (UIS) opened the Alfred O. and Barbara Cordwell Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon (TFSE) in 2008. Located within The Nature Conservancy’s Emiquon Preserve, the TFSE is ideally situated to provide researchers and students of all ages with an opportunity to study and learn from this unique floodplain restoration project.

The Therkildsen Field Station provides researchers with lab space and equipment for carrying out a variety of scientific projects in the Emiquon Preserve and its surrounding areas. With housing for 10-12 researchers, as well as kitchen facilities, the TFSE provides a “home base” for researchers working in the Preserve.

The TFSE is also set-up to accommodate day-trips by classes (college and k-12) and other organizations (birding clubs; photography groups; artists; etc.). With classroom and laboratory space, as well as basic equipment, the TFSE can provide the starting point for groups looking to examine the Emiquon Preserve in a variety of ways. While we encourage groups to have their own agenda/schedule for their day at the Preserve, TFSE staff are available to help with planning and organizing activities.

The TFSE has partnered with several organizations in vicinity of the Emiquon Preserve: The Nature Conservancy, the Illinois State Museum at Dickson Mounds, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forbes Biological Station, and the Illinois River Biological Station. These partnerships aid in furthering scientific discovery, as well as providing a larger outlet for sharing information with the public about the Emiquon Preserve.