In continuation of our Field Notes series, Abby Graefe writes us about her experiences two weeks ago in the Windy City. Read on for more on her adventure and check back soon for more stories from Knaussers in the field.
My kind of town, Chicago is!
Okay, I MAY be a little biased since I was born and raised in Chicago, but Chicago was the perfect location for this year’s Coastal Zone Conference – a.k.a. "CZ11". Coastal Zone is a biennial international symposium, which draws the largest international gathering of ocean and coastal management professionals in the world. Session topics ranged from aquatic habitat restoration to sea level rise adaptation/communication, and from Asian carp control to CMSP tools. When the 900 attendees weren’t busy participating in over 180 technical sessions and workshops and countless numbers of networking opportunities, they were able to enjoy beautiful Lake Michigan’s coastal scenery and activities. Bi-weekly fireworks, river and lake cruises, kayaking, swimming, and water-side dining anyone??
Enthusiasm for the National Ocean Policy (NOP) was elevated all week, as the conference fell on the first birthday of the NOP! We celebrated its birthday cruising Lake Michigan on an interpretive boat tour and reception sponsored by the Chicago Park District and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see the beautiful skyline, since the city was enveloped in fog! However, the fog cleared as the boats re-entered the lock, and some of us got an extended tour up the Chicago River to view the city’s magnificent architecture. On the shores of Lake Michigan, attendees also received a taste of the Pacific Northwest and the Caribbean at the world-renowned John G. Shedd Aquarium. We ate dinner and mingled with new friends and contacts surrounded by sharks, sting-rays, and hundreds of reef-loving fish. 
Through the conference, I gained crucial networking experience and a new stack of business cards. I have also spent slow office days researching various programs, policies, and management tools that were brought to my attention that week. I definitely recommend attending this conference’s next installment in 2013. No, you won’t get the added bonus of enjoying the fantastic city that is Chicago, but you will leave the conference with new knowledge and a larger professional network.
Chicago Poems : "The Fog” by Carl SandburgThe fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
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