Bay of Green Bay

https://fwwa.org/2024/03/13/warming-weather-help-volunteer-to-protect-your-favorite-places/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=warming-weather-help-volunteer-to-protect-your-favorite-places

Full Position Description

Communications Specialist

On: February 5, 2024

In: announcement, Bay of Green Bay, employment, Employment Opportunities, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, Hiring, Job, Keepers of the Fox, Lower Fox River, Upper Fox River, Water quality, Winnebago Waterways, Wolf River

Communications Specialist – Full-Time

The Communications Specialist is a key part of the team of the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance (Fox-Wolf). The Communications Specialist works cooperatively with staff to develop and implement strategies for communications that will increase the visibility of the organization, watershed recovery initiatives, and projects.

The successful applicant will bring skills in writing, graphic design, creativity, and time management. Key duties include managing digital and print communications, developing content, establishing communication calendars and processes, and tracking metrics.

While reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Communication Specialist will work closely with Recovery Area Directors and all program staff to build support for organizational initiatives.

To apply, email resume and cover letter to jessica@fwwa.org.

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https://fwwa.org/2024/02/05/communications/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=communications

Jessica Schultz

Billboard Campaign Educates on Cover Crops

On: January 26, 2024

In: Agriculture, Bay of Green Bay, conservation, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, Keepers of the Fox, Lower Fox River, non point pollution, Outreach and Education, phosphorus, restoration, runoff, soil health, Water quality

This fall, travelers along the Highway 41 cooridor in Brown County were greeted with a conservation message flashing on digital billboards along their route:

At Fox-Wolf, we’re invested in making impacts to water quality from all sources – residential, commercial, municipal, and agricultural. We partner with people and organizations from across all these sources to reduce the amount of the phosphorus and sediment that’s delivered to our local waters and downstream through the Fox River and into the bay of Green Bay. Collectively, these impacts lessen the “green” (algae) in Green Bay.

That’s why education and outreach is key! Each of us has an opportunity to contribute in our own way. By sharing how our local farmers are investing in water quality by adopting conservation practices, our communities can see how agriculture is doing its part as well.

Cover crops planted in the fall keep soil in place throughout the winter

Cover Crops Keep Fields Green in the Fall and Water Blue in the Spring

As you drive by the many agricultural fields in the greater Fox Cities area, you may notice a variety of colors peeking out from the snow. Some fields are still have green bits of vegetation, some have bits of corn stalks left poking from the ground, and some are bare soil. In traditional farming, after the fall harvest of row crops, such as corn or soybeans, the soil surface of a field will be left bare until the next crop is planted and a new plant canopy is established. Here in Wisconsin, that next planting may be 5-7 months away. That’s a long time for the bare soil to be vulnerable to erosion caused by rainfall, snowmelt, or wind. For that reason, conservation-minded farmers utilize cover crops to have vegetation established and growing in the fall months and remain in place during the winter.

In the spring, cover crops are terminated and left on the surface as residue for conservation tillage or are incorporated into the soil. Properly planned and executed, cover crops will protect soil during this vulnerable period. This topsoil is full of nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen, so by keeping soil in place, these nutrients are kept on the land where they benefit crops and prevented from running into waterways where they contribute to degraded water conditions and algal blooms. Keeping soil in place also keeps pesticides, herbicides, and manure out of nearby streams, rivers, and lakes.

Cover crops do more than just improve water quality. As a benefit to the farmer, cover crops can also:

Slow runoff from rainfall and snowmelt, reducing soil loss due to erosion
Increase soil organic matter, leading to improvements in soil structure that benefits plant growth
Increase soil quality by improving the biological, chemical, and physical soil properties
Store nutrients from manure until the following years’ crop can utilize them
Reduce or mitigate soil compaction as deep tap roots are able to grow in fall and spring
Provide a natural means of suppressing soil diseases and pests and serve as a mulch to assist in suppressing weeds
Provide high-quality material for grazing livestockand can provide food and habitat for wildlife, beneficial insects, and pollinators

Thank you conservation farmers!

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https://fwwa.org/2024/01/26/kof_billboard/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kof_billboard

Katie Woodrow

Once They Were Pets. Now Giant Goldfish Are Menacing the Great Lakes.

On: January 16, 2024

In: 2024, AIS, aquatic invasive species, Bay of Green Bay, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, Great Lakes, Green Bay, Outreach, Outreach and Education, Water quality

Released Goldfish Grow to Monstrous Size, Destroy Habitat

Original Story: Livia Albeck-Ripka, The New York Times

Inside a fishbowl, the goldfish — a species of carp native to East Asia, bred for aesthetic delight and traditionally believed to bring good fortune — is hardly more than home décor. Usually just a few inches long, it is among the easiest of pets to keep.

But released into the wild, the seemingly humble goldfish, freed from glass boundaries and no longer limited to meager meals of flakes, can grow to monstrous proportions. They can even kill off native marine wildlife and help destroy fragile and economically valuable ecosystems.

“They can eat anything and everything,” said Christine Boston, an aquatic research biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Over the past several years, Ms. Boston and her colleagues have been tracking invasive goldfish in Hamilton Harbour, which is on the western tip of Lake Ontario, about 35 miles southwest of Toronto. The bay has been decimated by industrial and urban development as well as by invasive species — making it among the most environmentally degraded areas of the Great Lakes.

Their study, published last month in the Journal of Great Lakes Research, could help pinpoint goldfish populations for culling, said Ms. Boston, who is the lead author. “We found out where they are before they start spawning,” she said. “That’s a good opportunity to get rid of them.”

The fast-growing female goldfish, Ms. Boston noted, can also reproduce several times in one season. “They have the resources,” she added, “and they can take advantage of them.”

Goldfish were first spotted in Hamilton Harbour in the 1960s, but largely died off in the 1970s because of industrial contamination. In the early 2000s, their population appeared to recover. Goldfish can tolerate a wide range of water temperatures, reach sexual maturation quickly, and can eat nearly anything, including algae, aquatic plants, eggs and invertebrates, Ms. Boston said.

The feral goldfish are also destructive, uprooting and consuming plants that are home to native species. They help spawn harmful algal blooms by consuming the algae and expelling nutrients that promote its growth, Ms. Boston said, creating conditions that are intolerable to native fish.

To track the goldfish, the researchers captured and sedated 19 of the larger adults and surgically implanted tags the size of AA batteries into their bellies. The tags, which sent signals to acoustic receivers around the bay, provided researchers with a map of their locations.

Eight of the fish died, but the remaining 11 led Ms. Boston and her colleagues to find that the fish tended to spend the winter in deep waters and moved to shallower habitats by spring, where they prepared to spawn.

Some options for removing the goldfish, she said, include capturing them with specialized nets deployed beneath winter ice, or using “electro fishing,” which involves stunning the fish with an electrical current and scooping them from the water. Both techniques, she added, would avoid killing the native fish.

Nicholas Mandrak, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Toronto Scarborough, said that while goldfish were introduced to North America in the late 1800s, the wild population had begun to “dramatically increase” in the past two decades. Their spawning explosion, he said, resulted partly from people in densely-populated areas releasing pets in urban ponds.

Climate change may play a role, because of the goldfish’s capacity to adapt to warming and poorly oxygenated waters, he added.

“There are literally millions of goldfish in the Great Lakes, if not tens of millions,” Dr. Mandrak said.

Despite the threat, he added, environmental managers tend to forget the goldfish. “They just assume, ‘It’s been there for 150 years — there’s nothing we can do about it.’”

The problem is not unique to Canada. In Australia, a handful of unwanted pet goldfish and their offspring took over a river in the country’s southwest. Feral goldfish have flooded waterways in the United Kingdom, and, in Burnsville, Minn., the discovery of football-size creatures in a lake in 2021 led officials to beg their constituents: “Please don’t release your pet goldfish into ponds and lakes!”

People wrongly believe that because goldfish are “small and cute” they won’t pose a problem when released into the wild, said Dr. Ricciardi. “It’s the ‘Free Willy’ syndrome.”

Goldfish, he added, are just a small part of a vast invasion of non-native species whose outcomes can be unpredictable, and in some cases, are worsened by climate change.

“Under human influence, beasts are moving faster farther in greater numbers, reaching parts of the planet they could never reach before,” he said. “We’re talking about the redistribution of life on Earth.”

Anthony Ricciardi, a professor of invasion ecology at McGill University in Montreal, noted that not all invasive goldfish become supersized, but even the small ones are problematic, outpacing native fish populations and damaging the environment.

Their football-shaped bodies can swell to a size that makes them too large a meal for predators — up to about 16 inches long. “A fish would have to have a really big mouth to eat it,” she said.

Photo Credit: Vincent Tullo (New York Times), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on X! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

Winnebago Waterways and Keepers of the Fox are Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance programs. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization working to protect and restore water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.

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Farm Progress Report – A Tool to Tell the Conservation Story

On: September 29, 2023

In: Agriculture, air seeder, Bay of Green Bay, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, interseeder, interseeding, Keepers of the Fox, low disturbance manure application, Lower Fox River, NEW Water, no till drill, non point pollution, Oneida Nation, Outagamie County, Outreach and Education, phosphorus, planter, restoration, roller crimper, runoff, sediment, shed, soil health, soil health education and demonstration, Surface water, trial plot, Water quality

When making conservation plans, producers and conservation professionals alike want to know the impact that farm practices have on our local water. Through work funded by Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and Outagamie County have developed a Farm Progress Report to tell the story of conservation, one farm at a time.

The Farm Progress Report utilizes data from SNAP+, a program widely used by Wisconsin farmers, to generate modeled soil and phosphorus loss on each field based on soil type, phosphorus test results, and field management (tillage, manure management, crop cycle, etc).

This information is then compiled to create per field and per farm loss data, which is compared to the local conservation goal of 1 lb per acre per year of phosphorus loss and 0.5 tons per acre per year of soil loss. This information is visualized in the Farm Progress Report through simple to read graphs that include the annual average compared to the community goal as well as tables that list the top ten fields to improve.

The Farm Progress Report has two purposes:

Farm Knowledge: For farmers to understand the impact of their current farm practices on water quality, the goals for the community, and how they can make changes on their farm to improve their phosphorus and soil loss
Communication: Farmers can utilize the Farm Progress Report to communicate with their local communities to show the positive impact they are having as well as to their processors to show that they have adopted conservation practices that may meet the processor’s environmental standards

A Farm Progress report was generated for each producer participating in the GLRI grant project and Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and Outagamie County LWCD met with each farm, along with their agronomist. The Farm Progress Report was presented to each farm with an explanation of where the data was derived from, the community goal, and where their current farm practices compared to the goal. Feedback was solicited from the producer and their agronomist on the information presented and the response was positive. Producers understood the how the data was derived, how their on-field practices generated that data, and were interested in the potential of using the Farm Progress Report to communicate the great work they are doing to meet conservation goals in their watershed.

Further work will need to be done to streamline the data collection and input process and to ensure that the SNAP+ system is used consistently across the basin. Overall, the Farm Progress Report was well received by farmers and they expressed interest in continuing to use it to watch their progress toward improving water quality. Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance intends to continue developing the report and promoting its widespread adoption to producers outside of this project.

Questions? Contact us:

Basin Agriculture Coordinator: Justin Loehrke, 920.841-6938 or justin@fwwwa.org

Climate Smart Agriculture Project Manager: Katie Woodrow, 920.915.5767 or katie@fwwa.org

To receive periodic updates on these projects as well as many others, please subscribe to our newsletters: CLICK HERE

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Katie Woodrow

AIS Snapshot Day 2023; 115 volunteers Search 102 Different Waterbodies

On: September 25, 2023

In: 2023, AIS, ais snapshot day, aquatic invasive species, Aquatic Invasive Species Snapshot Day, Bay of Green Bay, conservation, Event - Non-FWWA, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, Green Bay, invasive species, snapshot day, Water Action Volunteers, watershed, WDNR, WI DNR

Original Story: Water Action Volunteers

On August 19^th, 2023, water lovers of all ages gathered for a one-day statewide aquatic invasive species (AIS) scavenger hunt as a part of the 10^th annual AIS Snapshot Day. This event is coordinated by UW Extension in partnership with River Alliance, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), and Extension Lakes. Volunteers met at different local rendezvous sites across the state to learn how to identify AIS such as Eurasian watermilfoil, purple loosestrife, and New Zealand mudsnails, and then searched for them in the field at pre-selected locations. Initially focused on rivers and streams, Snapshot Day has expanded to include lakes and wetlands. Findings from Snapshot Day are uploaded to the statewide water quality database, SWIMS, where they can be used to track the spread of invasive species and develop management plans.

Every year, Snapshot Day provides a vast amount of AIS data to the WDNR to assist in management decisions, and this year was no exception! 145 participants gathered across 22 meeting locations and monitored 131 sites across 102 different waterbodies in Wisconsin. 48 of those waterbodies had no AIS detected. At 83 sites, volunteers located 15 different AIS species, including purple loosestrife, curly-leaf pondweed, Asian clams/freshwater golden clams (Corbicula), and faucet snails.

Snapshot Day’s community-based science approach maximizes the number of sites being checked across the state, and the free event allows volunteers to learn about their local waters and how to keep them healthy. As one volunteer stated, “I enjoyed the hands on learning approach. It was helpful to have well informed guides and samples of the invasive species to get a close look at. Once we had a good understanding of what to look for, it was fun to go out and collect samples of what we were finding.”

We would like to extend a HUGE thank you to all of the volunteers, partner organizations, and site leaders who made this event possible.

And don’t forget to follow Snapshot Day on Facebook for future updates! https://www.facebook.com/aissnapshotday

Photo Credit: Chris Acy (Fox-Wolf), Emily Heald (Water Action Volunteers)

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

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Pet Rehoming Event in Green Bay Sees Eight Exotic Pets

On: September 25, 2023

In: 2023, aquatic invasive species, Bay of Green Bay, Exotic, fox-wolf, Green Bay, Habitattitude, invasive, invasive species, Lower Fox River, Outreach and Education, PET, surrender

Original Story: J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue

Eight animals were turned in at an exotic pet surrender event at the Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve in Brown County on Sunday September 24th. Included in the surrenders were fish and two yellow bellied sliders!

Area organizations were on hand accepting fish, invertebrates, reptiles, pet birds, small mammals, and plants — no questions asked.

In some areas, there are no rehoming options for exotic animals such as fish, birds, and reptiles. Some pet owners that are unable to care for their pet may think that releasing the animal is the right thing to do, however, releasing a pet is harmful for the animal and the environment. Pet Surrender events are now being held across Wisconsin help provide an avenue to pet owners to rehome pets without harming the pet or the environment.

There are multiple places that are currently tackling issues from illegally released domestic and exotic animals. The most well known example are the Burmese pythons that have had an enormous impact on the Everglades in Florida. However, multiple cases of released pets causing problems in our waters occur every year including an alligator found in Long Lake in Summer 2022! Released pets can easily become nuisance or invasive species if they start a breeding population.

The Pet Surrender event brought together a collection of area rehoming partners that provide responsible alternatives to release for exotic pet owners who are no longer able to care for their pets. J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue (JRAAR) hosted the October 30th event with help from several other area organizations including Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and University of Wisconsin Sea Grant/Water Resources Institutes.

Want to learn more about the Pet Surrender Network? Visit the J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue website at www.jraar.org.

Photo Credit: Chris Acy (Fox-Wolf), Marissa Kososki (J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue)

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

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Fox-Wolf Outreach Highlighted In Larry Smith Outdoors Show

On: August 22, 2023

In: 2023, AIS, aquatic invasive species, Bay of Green Bay, Chris Acy, fishing, fox-wolf, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, Green Bay, kids fishing event, Lower Fox, Lower Fox River, Outreach, Outreach and Education

Invasive Species Outreach Featured in Wings Over Wisconsin Kids Fishing Event Clip

During the summer months, our Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Chris exhibits at all sorts of events talking about Fox-Wolf’s work in the watershed as well as aquatic invasive species (AIS). Events include fishing tournaments, public festivals, expos, and kids fishing field days. At the Wings Over Wisconsin – Denmark Chapter’s annual Kids Fishing event, Chris is able to talk with over 150 fifth and sixth grade students about the importance of preventing the spread of invasive species while fishing. As part of the the event in 2023, the Larry Smith Outdoors show did a feature on the amazing event and interviewed Chris for the video. It’s absolutely incredible to work with such amazing partners in our watershed and be apart of such great events! Check out the feature below and be on the lookout for the clip with Fox Wolf’s own AIS Coordinator Chris!

Video Credit: Larry Smith Outdoors Show

Photo Credit: Chris Acy (Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance)

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

The post Fox-Wolf Outreach Highlighted In Larry Smith Outdoors Show appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

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European Frog Bit Survey – Green Bay Documentary Featured Clip

Fox-Wolf, Partners Tackle Invasive Plant in Green Bay

On: August 22, 2023

In: 2023, AIS, aquatic invasive species, Bay of Green Bay, control, EFB, European Frogbit, fox-wolf, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, Green Bay, Keepers of the Fox, Video, WI DNR

Invasive European Frogbit Mapping and Control Work Ongoing

The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance has partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Brown County, and other local partners to confront an invasive species in the Bay of Green Bay. European frogbit was first discovered in the wild in Wisconsin late last summer and the known general extent at that time ranged from the City of Marinette to the City of Oconto. Additional monitoring by partners found additional populations within and beyond that range reaching all of the way to the Brown and Door County.

To help reduce the population in the Green Bay area, Fox-Wolf is assisting in monitoring and control work for European Frogbit (EFB). Our aquatic invasive species coordinator Chris is joining partners on large group work days to find and remove EFB. One of the recent large group work days was filmed by Dan Larson from Com-Video Productions as part of a documentary on Green Bay; the same producer that brought you the documentary Power of the River. Check out his clip of our European Frogbit monitoring days below!

The free-floating European Frogbit is native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. It likes slow-moving habitats like sheltered inlets, rivers, and ditches. The plant resembles native water lilies but is much smaller and doesn’t root in the lake bottom. The plant forms dense mats that can interfere with boaters and shade-out native plants. If you see European frog-bit, take a few photos, make note of the location, date and time of the finding, and report to Amanda Smith, WI DNR Regional Invasive Species Coordinator.

Video Credit: Dan Larson (Com-Video Productions)

Photo Credit: Chris Acy (Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance)

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

The post Fox-Wolf, Partners Tackle Invasive Plant in Green Bay appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

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CLICK Snapshot Day Returns August 19th, 2023

On: July 19, 2023

In: 2023, AIS, aquatic invasive species, Bay of Green Bay, Brown County, Event - Non-FWWA, fox river, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, Green Bay, habitat, invasive species, Keepers of the Fox, Lower Fox River, Outreach, Outreach and Education, snapshot day, volunteer opportunity, watershed

Wisconsin residents invited to help search Wisconsin’s waters for invasive species on August 19^th

Water lovers of all ages are invited to join the statewide search for aquatic invasive species (AIS) on August 19^th, 2023. This fun, hands-on effort, known as AIS Snapshot Day, relies on participants to monitor streams, lakes, and wetlands at designated sites across the state, for signs of non-native plants and animals that pose risks to Wisconsin waterways and wildlife. Volunteers have a choice to register at one of over twenty event locations hosted by local conservation groups.

Coordinated in partnership by UW-Madison Division of Extension, UW-Stevens Point Extension Lakes, River Alliance of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Snapshot Day is entering its’ 10th successful year. Information collected will be provided to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to inform and guide monitoring and response efforts. Volunteers are key to the success of the event.

“Projects like AIS Snapshot Day are a fun and simple way for volunteers to get engaged and for the local site leaders and DNR to collaborate” says Maureen Ferry, DNR AIS Monitoring Coordinator. “DNR has a long list of sites with suspected but unverified AIS that AIS Snapshot Day monitoring targets. This increases the chances of volunteers finding a species. Plus, each year, we make new detections.”

Last year over 150 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to monitor at more than 234 sites across the state making for a fun and safe event.

This is a free event. Recommended for ages 8 and up, minors must be accompanied by an adult.

LOCAL EVENT DETAILS:

Saturday, August 19th

8:30 am-12:30 pm

Pamperin Park, Green Bay

REGISTRATION:

Advance registration is requested to help Site Leaders build monitoring plans.

Photo Credit: Chris Acy (FWWA)

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

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CLICK Snapshot Day Returns August 19th, 2023

On: July 19, 2023

Wisconsin residents invited to help search Wisconsin’s waters for invasive species on August 19^th

Last year over 150 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to monitor at more than 234 sites across the state making for a fun and safe event.

This is a free event. Recommended for ages 8 and up, minors must be accompanied by an adult.

LOCAL EVENT DETAILS:

Saturday, August 19th

8:30 am-12:30 pm

Pamperin Park, Green Bay

REGISTRATION:

Advance registration is requested to help Site Leaders build monitoring plans.

Photo Credit: Chris Acy (FWWA)

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

The post *CLICK* Snapshot Day Returns August 19th, 2023 appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2023/07/19/click-snapshot-day-returns-august-19th-2023/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=click-snapshot-day-returns-august-19th-2023

CLICK Snapshot Day Returns August 19th, 2023

On: July 19, 2023

Wisconsin residents invited to help search Wisconsin’s waters for invasive species on August 19^th

Last year over 150 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to monitor at more than 234 sites across the state making for a fun and safe event.

This is a free event. Recommended for ages 8 and up, minors must be accompanied by an adult.

LOCAL EVENT DETAILS:

Saturday, August 19th

8:30 am-12:30 pm

Pamperin Park, Green Bay

REGISTRATION:

Advance registration is requested to help Site Leaders build monitoring plans.

Photo Credit: Chris Acy (FWWA)

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

The post *CLICK* Snapshot Day Returns August 19th, 2023 appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2023/07/19/click-snapshot-day-returns-august-19th-2023/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=click-snapshot-day-returns-august-19th-2023

Japanese Knotweed and our Rivers

On: July 10, 2023

In: AIS, aquatic invasive species, Bay of Green Bay, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, habitat, invasive species, Japanese Knotweed, Keepers of the Fox, Lake Butte des Morts, lake management planning, Lake Poygan, Lake Winnebago, Lake Winneconne, Lower Fox River, Melinda Myers, Outreach, Outreach and Education, restoration, Shoreline Restoration, watershed, WDNR, Winnebago, Winnebago Waterways

Gardener Extraordinaire Melinda Myers Gives Insight into Japanese Knotweed

During last month’s National Rivers Month, Melinda Myers took a moment to highlight the over 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams in the United States. In addition to outlining the amazing things our waters do for us (including supplying water for drinking and for irrigating crops), Melinda brought attention to a riverside invasive species; Japanese knotweed. This plant was original brought to America as an ornamental but quickly spread through much of the United States. With bamboo-like stems, this invasive plant is known to choke waterways and hasten erosion. If you are one of the folks who has Japanese knotweed growing along your shorelines, there are great control options available.

To learn more, including control methods, check out this Japanese Knotweed brochure: https://widnr.widen.net/s/jzxjqrs867/wy0090?fbclid=IwAR2q36KUKGAJ4NJfAZ7N8S6MOeOgx-NPEV1T-LD3lzp6nMdXFvRWum-ssKQ

Photo Credit: Paul Skawinski, Melinda Myers

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

The post Japanese Knotweed and our Rivers appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2023/07/10/japanese-knotweed-and-our-rivers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=japanese-knotweed-and-our-rivers

Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop June 17th, 2023

On: May 23, 2023

In: Barrel, Bay of Green Bay, build, community, Event, Event - FWWA, EVENT - NEWSC, Fox-Wolf Basin, Green Bay, Keepers of the Fox, Keepers of the Fox Event, NEW Water, NEWSC, northeast wisconsin, opportunity, Outreach and Education, project, rain, rain barrel, stormwater, Upper Fox River, Urban Stormwater, Watershed Project, Workshop

https://fwwa.org/2023/05/23/build-your-own-rain-barrel-workshop-june-17th-2023/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=build-your-own-rain-barrel-workshop-june-17th-2023

Alyssa Reinke

What’s That Plant? Know What’s In Your Water Garden

On: May 11, 2023

In: 2023, aquatic, aquatic invasive species, Bay of Green Bay, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, Garden, invasive, invasive species, Keepers of the Fox, Lower Fox River, Outreach and Education, prevent, Upper Fox River, water, water garden, water hyacinth, winnebago waterwas, winnebago waterway program, Winnebago Waterways

Ensuring Your Water Garden Doesn’t Harbor Invasive Plants

As you’re choosing your plants for your water gardens and backyards this spring, be sure you aren’t accidentally growing an invasive plant that could do harm to our lakes and rivers! But don’t take our word for it! Here’s some tips from Melinda Myers, nationally known gardening educator, horticulturist, arborist, author, speaker, and TV/radio host with more than 30 years of horticulture experience!

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

The post What’s That Plant? Know What’s In Your Water Garden appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2023/05/11/whats-that-plant-know-whats-in-your-water-garden/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-that-plant-know-whats-in-your-water-garden