Hannah griffis

Volunteer citizen science & education coordinator

Hello! I grew up in northern Illinois, about 40 miles south of Chicago. My father is a long-term water quality volunteer with the Illinois state program. I grew up helping him collect water quality data in our local creek, although, at the time, I thought I was just helping him catch bugs. This led to me participating in undergraduate research that focused on habitat selection of macroinvertebrates. I achieved my Bachelor of Science in Integrative Biology and my Master of Science from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. My master’s research focused on habitat selection and feeding behaviors of white-footed mice.

After graduating, I went back to my roots and began working as the Volunteer Coordinator for Illinois RiverWatch. I spent 5 years with RiverWatch where I scheduled and conducted training workshops, connected with volunteers, launched new programs, and provided several kinds of educational programming. I also assisted with several other programs, including Winter Chloride Watch, Sangamon River Mussel Monitoring, and Illinois Crayfish Watch. I formed many connections with the Illinois RiverWatch volunteers and I look forward to forming new connections with the volunteers of Stream Team!

In my free time, I am a nature lover, board game enthusiast, amateur chef, and a cat mom.

Phone: (573) 522-4115, Ext. 3593

Email: Hannah.Griffis@mdc.mo.gov