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In: 2026, acquatic invasive species, AIS, ais snapshot day, aquatic invasive species, Education, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, monitoring, Outreach and Education, UW-Extension

Original Story: UW-Madison Extension On August 8, 2026, almost 200 people who love Wisconsin’s waters came together for the 13th annual Aquatic Invasive Species Snapshot Day—a statewide search for aquatic invasive species (AIS). From rivers and streams to lakes and wetlands, volunteers fanned out across 125 different waterbodies in Wisconsin, helping monitor the health [...]

The post Snapshot Day Volunteers Build Community, Expand Known Range of Aquatic Invasive Species appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2026/09/16/snapshot-day-volunteers-build-community-expand-known-range-of-aquatic-invasive-species/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=snapshot-day-volunteers-build-community-expand-known-range-of-aquatic-invasive-species

Chris Acy

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In: AIS, ais snapshot day, aquatic invasive species, Scott McComb, Tim Campbell
Snapshot Day participant inspects an aquatic plant.

A Snapshot Day participant inspects an aquatic plant. Credit: University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension and Wisconsin Sea Grant invite nature lovers of all ages to participate in Aquatic Invasive Species Snapshot Day on August 9, 2025. The statewide event will be held at over 20 locations across the state and invites volunteers to search for aquatic invasive species (AIS) in rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

“Snapshot Day is a great way to engage volunteers for a one-day event, and it helps people learn a lot about the streams and rivers close to their homes,” said Tim Campbell, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s AIS outreach specialist. “It also creates a boatload of monitoring data that the state depends on. We’re happy to be a part of it.”

On the day of the event, volunteers will gather at local training sites hosted by community conservation partners. After a brief training on how to identify AIS and follow search protocols, participants will visit designated monitoring sites to search for invasive species. Any potential invasive species found will be cataloged with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, supporting control and management efforts. 

Scott McComb, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s southeast Wisconsin AIS outreach specialist, will be coordinating data collection throughout Milwaukee County. This is the fourth year he’s participated in Snapshot Day. “I like that it allows people to directly help the lakes and rivers in their community,” said McComb. “It’s also a great opportunity for folks to connect with others who share an interest in water and being outside.”  

The event is free, and no prior experience or special equipment is needed. Register and see all event details at: https://wateractionvolunteers.org/events/aquatic-invasive-species-snapshot-day-2025/

Advance registration is preferred to help site leaders build monitoring plans but will remain open until August 8, 2025. This event is recommended for ages 8 and up; minors must be accompanied by an adult.

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The University of Wisconsin Aquatic Sciences Center administers Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Wisconsin Water Resources Institute, and Water@UW. The center supports multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach for the protection and sustainable use of Wisconsin’s water resources. Wisconsin Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in coastal and Great Lakes states that encourage the wise stewardship of marine resources through research, education, outreach, and technology transfer.

The post Aquatic Invasive Species Snapshot Day returns August 9 first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/aquatic-invasive-species-snapshot-day-returns-august-9/

Jenna Mertz

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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 19th, 2023, water lovers of all ages gathered for a one-day statewide aquatic invasive species (AIS) scavenger hunt as a part of the 10th 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!

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.

Reporting invasive species is a first step in containing their spread. Maintaining and restoring our waters and landscapes can reduce the impacts even when we don’t have other management options to an invasive species.

The post AIS Snapshot Day 2023; 115 volunteers Search 102 Different Waterbodies appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2023/09/25/ais-snapshot-day-2023-115-volunteers-search-102-different-waterbodies/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ais-snapshot-day-2023-115-volunteers-search-102-different-waterbodies

Chris Acy