Ryan Kudish, meterorologist, reports on local sustainability efforts.

“I never touched a camera in my life before this segment,” admitted Ryan Kudish, meteorologist reporter for Local 5 news in Green Bay. But a year later, he’s getting pretty good at it.

The segment in question, Sustainably Speaking, started in November 2023 when WFRV partnered with some local organizations to provide more information about environmental issues in their viewing area. It was a good fit for Ryan.

In college he realized that weather is about more than the forecast. His teachers wanted students to experience weather out and about, not just in the classroom, so they used to go hiking.

“I learned to appreciate the weather we have,” Ryan said. “Look at the beautiful fall colors; listen to the birds.”

But Ryan has had a special concern for water since he was young. “I grew up in The Ocean State, where water is big,” he said. “I wanted to preserve the water for the next generation of Rhode Islanders.”

Now that he lives here, he’s focused on water quality issues that matter in Wisconsin. “Around here, people use water every day for recreation, drinking water, and washing our dishes,” Ryan said. “It’s so important to have access to clean, refreshing water. Not just for yourself, but for the whole community. It’s helpful for mind, body, and soul.”

In addition to telling stories from Fox-Wolf, Ryan worked with UW-Oshkosh and Door County to tell stories about PFAS, E. coli, phosphorus, and blue-green algae.

“I’m not an expert in any of these topics that I’m going out and filming,” Ryan said. “I’m actively learning about each topic that I get to film.”

While Ryan was putting in the hard work of learning how to tell a story, get the right angle, and set audio levels, he was inspired by what he heard. “It’s awesome to hear that people really care about these stories and topics. That’s why I enjoy this – weather has an impact, but these stories tell a different perspective.”

Ryan hopes that by telling these stories, other people in this area will learn about these challenges, and will take away the fact that they can be involved.

“So many organizations are doing cool things,” Ryan said. “If you want to make an impact, you don’t need to be an expert. Have a passion to clean up the water. They will teach you how to be involved, and you can be a supporter for life.”

In October, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance held an event to celebrate all the things that are going right for our local waters and to honor individuals and organizations that are making a difference. This issue of Watershed Moments highlights three of the individuals honored with a 2024 Impact Award. You can see the short videos for these and other honorees at our YouTube channel.

Watershed Moments is a publication of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, sharing the stories of how your donations have impacted lives in our community. Read our latest project updates, make a secure online donation, or become a member at www.fwwa.org

Retired professor Bud Harris devoted his career to improving water quality.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, the Fox River had so much bacteria in the sediment that anaerobic activity produced hydrogen gas. Large bubbles rose to the surface as a reminder that something was really wrong.

“The conditions of the river were actually frightening,” said Bud Harris, retired professor. “At one point, the Fox and East Rivers were just plain open sewers. People demanded change as far back as the 1930s and 40s. But only after the Clean Water Act were serious efforts at cleanup made.”

Bud’s first connection with water quality came because of his passion for teaching. He came to UW-Green Bay as a professor when the school was informally known as Eco-U.

“We all had the same ideas about nature, and ecology, and sustainability,” Bud remembered. “That was the theme at that time. There was a mission to focus on the environment,” even across disciplines.

So it wasn’t much of a leap when several researchers from UW Green Bay and commissioners from the Green Bay Sewer District started working together to improve the water in the bay of Green Bay. The water was visibly polluted, and this team was concerned that people were thinking too small as they planned interventions. They wanted to ensure that the time and money invested would have a significant impact.

That’s how Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance was born. From the beginning, folks like Bud and other early supporters established two priorities for Fox-Wolf. First, focus on the entire watershed, and the way that all our waters and communities are connected. “It is more effective to manage problems at the source than to make changes further downstream,” Bud explained.

And second, prioritize working with all stakeholders, including farmers, businesses and manufacturers, municipalities, and concerned residents. After all, as Bud said, “What’s the common goal? Sustainability. The advantage of working together is we don’t all have the same ideas, so you have this mixture of potential solutions!”

Bud’s contributions to our water went beyond his work with Fox-Wolf, including direct connection to the massive project of removing PCBs from the Fox River. Bud provided testimony that helped hold insurance companies accountable for paying out for the environmental damage.

People often questioned his tactics to partner with sectors that were not conservation focused, but it was important for Bud to work even with the paper mills that people pointed to for causing the pollution.

“No one is cast as a villain,” he said. “The paper companies had a role to play,” Bud explained. “And they proved themselves to be responsible. We needed a common goal of cleaning up the past.”

Reflecting on all his life experiences – farming, military service, teaching – he sees a common thread of collaboration. “Life’s tough,” Bud said, “but if you work together, you get the work done.”

Looking to the future, Bud feels guardedly positive. “Leaders like [Fox-Wolf Executive Director] Jessica are changing things. I’m glad to see the return of team efforts and involving the community.”

All of us who live in northeast Wisconsin have cleaner water than what Bud saw at the beginning of his career. And though he didn’t do it alone, we can all be grateful for Bud and the work he has accomplished on our behalf. His extraordinary impact on making our waters safer and cleaner is why he was honored with the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance Lifetime Achievement award.

In October, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance held an event to celebrate all the things that are going right for our local waters and to honor individuals and organizations that are making a difference. This issue of Watershed Moments highlights three of the individuals honored with a 2024 Impact Award. You can see the short videos for these and other honorees at our YouTube channel.

Watershed Moments is a publication of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, sharing the stories of how your donations have impacted lives in our community. Read our latest project updates, make a secure online donation, or become a member at www.fwwa.org

Kevin Boyle getting ready to run all the way around Lake Winnebago.

Lake Mendota tried, but it didn’t turn Kevin Boyle from a runner into a rower.

“Tall runners make good rowers,” Kevin explained. “I was a runner in high school, and I was recruited to row at UW.” He loved rowing, but he only stuck with it for one year. Kevin really wanted to get back to running, and ultimately became the president of the track club.

Lake Winnebago didn’t even try. It just tempted Kevin to show up and do what he does best – run.

Kevin is a writer for Wiscampsin, an online blog and newsletter seeking to further engagement with Wisconsin’s great outdoors. He was researching lake sturgeon for an article he was writing, but he got sidetracked when he learned there was a published record for the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for running all the way around Lake Winnebago.

Kevin has friends who enjoy trying to set new FKTs, and they decided this was a great opportunity. But they wanted to leverage their attempt into a way to protect and restore the waters of Lake Winnebago.

“I started looking into who is helping restore it to the best it can be,” said Kevin. That’s how he found Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance. Reading through the website, he thought to himself, “I would love to do something with them!”

Kevin wrote an article for his readers, telling them all about what makes Lake Winnebago amazing. And he invited them to follow his attempt to run the 72-mile course around the lake at record pace.

Race day came with beautiful spring weather, and Kevin and his friends enjoyed abundant sunshine. It was a nail-biter to the end, but after 14 hours and 8 minutes, “we ended up breaking the record by 10 minutes,” Kevin said.

Kevin wasn’t the only winner that day. Thanks to his efforts to promote Fox-Wolf, he and his friends raised $600 to support Fox-Wolf’s mission. “Fox-Wolf was easy to work with,” Kevin said. “The mission is clear, and people were very receptive.”

People so often take Wisconsin’s water resources for granted. “You don’t realize until you move away or visit around the world,” Kevin said, “but we have the largest body of fresh water right in our backyard. I really enjoy being right next to the Great Lakes.”

Watershed Moments is a publication of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, sharing the stories of how your donations have impacted lives in our community. Read our latest project updates, make a secure online donation, or become a member at www.fwwa.org

Jude Holland, local resident, volunteers for Fox-Wolf and other area groups.

Jude Holland doesn’t drink from the well in her backyard – there’s way too much arsenic in the water. But she figured she could still use the water to irrigate her flower beds.

“When I bought my home, I figured out where I could build a garden,” she said. “I put in a raised bed because I wanted fresh, non-contaminated dirt. But I couldn’t use my terrible well water,” she realized. That’s when she decided to put up two rain barrels.

The first year, there wasn’t quite enough water in her barrels for the whole garden, so she added a third.

“I added a new garden later,” Jude said, “and then it was the same year we had a drought.” Which may explain why Jude is now up to five rain barrels.

Trying to grow a safe, healthy garden has certainly taught Jude the importance of knowing your water quality. She is also now a volunteer with Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance. She and a friend both heard about the opportunity to sample water and decided to join together.

“Steph puts on waders and gets in the water,” Jude explained. “I label the bottles and write things down.”

When they started doing their water samples years ago, they stood on the dock of a nearby restaurant. The bartender came out to shoo them away, saying, “Are you the DNR? This is a private dock.”

Once Jude and Steph explained who they were, the man was intrigued by their work. Not only are they now welcome on the property, the owner jokes with them that if they fall in, “I’ll pull you out and give you a drink!”

Building relationships like these is one of the things that sets Fox-Wolf apart in the community. When working at the level of an entire watershed, it’s important to have partnerships that include residents, businesses, organizations, and government agencies. Volunteers like Jude are making a big difference for water quality, both at home with her rain barrels and in the field with her water sampling.

Rain Barrels: benefiting you and our waters

Rain runs off your rooftop, onto your driveway, down the street and into the storm drain collecting dirt, debris, fertilizer and other harmful substances along the way. All of the polluted water ends up in our local waters unless we stop the water where it falls!

A rain barrel is a system that collects rainwater from your roof that would otherwise be lost to runoff. Rain barrels come in a wide variety of materials, designs and colors.

Rain water is best for plants. Catching rain water in a rain barrel allows you to water your garden and plants indoors and out during dry periods. Instead of paying for water from the tap, you can use the water you collect to keep your landscape healthy – saving you money!

Using a rain barrel benefits you and our local waters. Water stored in a rain barrel won’t rush off your property and carry pollutants to our streams and rivers. Not only that, water that is used for watering filters into the ground and replenishes the ground water supply. Two great benefits from one barrel!

Watershed Moments is a publication of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, sharing the stories of how your donations have impacted lives in our community. Read our latest project updates, make a secure online donation, or become a member at www.fwwa.org