LISMA Partners Launch the Ward Award for Invasive Species Control

5pm-7pm CDT

Woodland Dunes Nature Center

3000 Hawthorne Ave, Two Rivers, WI 54241

Join us for a gathering of aquatic invasive species management leaders and stakeholders as we share our successes and lessons learned over the past field season and plans for 2022. This event is free to attend and refreshments will be provided.

This event is for anyone interested in on going efforts to manage invasive species in Eastern Wisconsin. LISMA partners work in Kewaunee, Calumet, Fond du Lac & Manitowoc counties and we have invited leaders from other cooperative invasive species management areas (CISMAs) to share the work they are doing in surrounding counties. Effective conservation requires collaboration at all levels and this event will help foster that collaboration between other conservation professionals and the public. Please share this announcement with anyone who may be interested.

The agenda for this event will include a talks on Purple Loosestrife Bio-Control Programs in the LISMA region, a Collaborative Phragmites Control Fund, and presentations from leaders from neighboring CISMAs about their successes, innovations and lessons learned from this field season.

The award is named after Tom Ward, this year’s recipient, for years of dedicated and inspirational service to our Lakeshore Communities.

Tom has served on the LNRP Board since 2008, including two terms as secretary. Tom has facilitated the development of a number of citizen organizations in Manitowoc County such as the Friends of the Branch River, the Manitowoc County Lakes Association, Pigeon River Watershed Monitors, and Groundwater Guardians. He was a past State President for the Soil & Water Conservation Society and helped re-organize the state chapter to improve operations. Tom helped organize and was a charter member of the Great Lakes Non-point Abatement Coalition (GLNAC). His experiences in managing DNR grants started with the Silver Lake Restoration project, with more than $100,000 in funding. The Silver Lake Restoration Grant (2005-06) allowed MCLA to restore the lake by removing rough fish followed by an alum treatment to lower Silver Lake’s phosphorus levels, improve water quality, and enhance fish habitat including a natural shoreline buffer

Tom was a critical and valuable resource in developing the four‐county invasive species collaborative approach with the Lakeshore Invasive Species Management Area (LISMA) as a member of the organizing committee. Tom has helped train volunteers for invasive species work hosting training workshops for the Manitowoc County Lakes Association, the Friends of Hika Bay, and the Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed.

Since 2015, Tom has acted as the local liaison for the Manitowoc County Collaborative Phragmites Control Project. Tom worked directly with landowners and local units of government to obtain permission to treat phragmites on the property as well as play a critical role in our collective education and outreach.

Tom’s leadership has made an immeasurable impact on land use protection and his projects are standing in place today to preserve the natural beauty of these fragile plant and animal ecosystems.

Tom is truly a Champion of Lakeshore Invasive Species Management!

Successful Landing Blitz Helps Prevent Spread of

Invasive Species in Wisconsin Waters

During the annual Landing Blitz, which took place July 1-5, watercraft inspectors across the state gathered at local boat landings to educate boaters on how to stop the spread of invasive species.

Invasive species are nonnative plants, animals and diseases that can cause great ecological, environmental or economic harm. Some are already established have already been found in Wisconsin, while others pose a large risk of surviving and causing problems if they are introduced and become established here.

Inspectors and lake organizations noted a vast increase in boater activity on Wisconsin waters in 2020 with a continuing upward trend in 2021. Over the course of the five-day Landing Blitz, Clean Boats, Clean Waters inspectors and staff invested nearly 4,000 hours and spoke to over 24,000 people while inspecting 11,000 boats.

Annually, the DNR invests approximately $1 million into Clean Boats, Clean Waters grants and other Surface Water Grants that fund watercraft inspections and many other activities to protect our waters.

“It only takes a minute to remove plants, animals, mud or debris from boats, trailers and equipment and to drain all water from bilges, livewells and bait buckets,” said Erin McFarlane, the Statewide CBCW Educator with Extension Lakes. “These simple steps help keep invasive species from hitching a ride from one waterbody to another.”

Do your part to keep Wisconsin waters healthy and stop the spread of AIS by following these easy steps:

·    Inspect boats, trailers and equipment for attached aquatic plants or animals.

·    Remove all attached plants or animals and mud.

·    Drain all water from boats, motors, livewells and other equipment.

·    Never move live fish away from a waterbody.

·    Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.

·    Buy minnows from a licensed Wisconsin bait dealer.

Following these steps helps boaters comply with Wisconsin state law which prohibits the transport of aquatic invasive species. To learn more about invasive species and their impacts to Wisconsin’s waters and economy, visit the DNR’s Aquatic Invasive Species Efforts webpage.

Contact: Erin McFarlane, Statewide CBCW Educator Extension Lakes

erin.mcfarlane@uwsp.edu or 715-346-4978

If only all of us in the natural resource management field just had endless time and resources to tackle the problem… unfortunately that is NEVER the case. Caring for parks by removing invasive species and planting trees is important, but not always feasible.

This year within the Calumet County Parks system we have been asking residents to help out with improving their parks. During four different organized events we have had families help us with pulling garlic mustard, cutting buckthorn and planting trees. Getting volunteers can for be difficult but we have found that people are more willing to help care for parks if it feels meaningful to them.

Having a project or providing an activity where families or friends can work together also produces meaning, it creates a space for connection. After staff cleared dying ash trees and buckthorn from a 3 acre area at Ledge View Nature Center we asked community members to help us replant. We ran this event as part of an Earth Day celebration and invited families or groups of friends to claim a tree.

Invasive species removal is not a glamorous activity but is so important to the long term health of an ecosystem. It is not always easy to find the time to tackle the problem, but something will always be better than nothing! Moving forward we will be striving to maintain areas we have worked to reduce invasive species, with a view to expand our work areas every year. Growing community involvement is also one of our goals. We all win when we have people invested in the quality of our parks and natural spaces.

Brooke Dreshek, Ecological Restoration Technician, Stantec

Woodland Dunes started with a few acres and a big dream. That dream preserved one of the largest migratory bird stopover habitats along the western Lake Michigan coast. Ongoing efforts are creating lasting ecological benefits and unique partnerships through restoration of the Forget-Me-Knot Creek watershed, a small frontal Lake Michigan tributary. Woodland Dunes recently initiated three large-scale restoration projects (Figure 1) to improve water quality and improve fish and wildlife habitat within this watershed. Each project restores unique and rare habitat types that achieve wetland functional goals and long-term resiliency.

Henry Wetland Restoration Project

In 2016, Dr. Jon and Annette Henry donated a 60-acre farm field to Woodland Dunes for long-term preservation and restoration. Woodland Dunes partnered with Stantec Consulting Services Inc (Stantec) to secure funding and initiate planning and restoration activities. Funding was provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource (WDNR) through the Wisconsin Wetland Conservation Trust to restore a total of 80-acres to a diverse mosaic of wetland and upland habitats. Restoration began in 2019 with the removal of 3 miles of underground drain tiles and constructing interspersed seasonal wetland communities (Photo 1). This technique created a diverse mix of shallow marsh, hummocks, shrub-carr sedge meadow, and prairie communities which is optimal nesting and migratory stopover areas for a wide variety of bird species (Photos 2 and 3). Restoration included installing 150 different species of native seed, 1,400 wetland plugs, 510 potted plants, and over 3,000 bare root trees/shrubs.

An interpretive sign, nature trail and viewing platform is available for the public to enjoy the sea of flowers and wildlife. On September 11^th a grand opening was held, which featured the site history and a nature walk through the Preserve with representatives from Woodland Dunes, WDNR, and Stantec. This event provided an educational opportunity for those who attended to learn more about the restoration process and to get field experience with plant and bird identification. Assistant Naturalist at Woodland Dunes, Kennedy Zittel shared the following:

“The amount of heart that has gone into this project is very humbling. We always talk about how everyone involved with Woodland Dunes truly feels like a family with how helpful and generous they all are, which has never been more apparent to me than it was during this event.”

The 40-acre Forget-Me-Not Restoration Project (Figure 1) is downstream of the Henry Project and is an important natural corridor connecting the upper and lower watershed. This site includes a 25-acre wetland restoration project completed in 2014 by Woodland Dunes and Stantec that contains a mix of wet meadow, shallow marsh, and prairie adjacent to a channelized portion of Forget Me Not Creek.

Historic ditching channelized Forget-Me-Not Creek resulting in poor water quality and instream aquatic habitat. Funding provided by Sustain Our Great Lakes is being used to naturalize 2,225 linear feet of Forget-Me-Not Creek to improve in-stream habitat and fish connectivity between Lake Michigan and headwater wetlands. Construction of this naturalized creek will occur in 2022 followed by riparian wetland restoration and invasive species management.

Preventing the spread of invasive plants prior to the upcoming stream restoration requires management of reed canary grass and Phragmites. Alex Solawetz, Stantec Senior Restoration Ecologist, has spent hours managing invasive species at this site and looks forward to its’ potential, stating:

“Due to its proximity to the Lake, this site offers a unique opportunity to not only improve habitat quality in the immediate area but also impact water quality in Lake Michigan”.

Restoration will improve water quality, species diversity and create a more enjoyable place for hikers and birders using the Ice Age Trail that runs through this property. Stop in to explore the beautiful beech trees that have been occupying this area for many years and watch for upcoming stream restoration construction.

Forget Me Not Creek to prep for future plantings. 

The Kaas Restoration Project is an opportunity to restore an extremely rare remnant Great Lakes Ridge and Swale community type. Although ridge and swale communities exist within Woodland Dunes, restoring this community type has only been done a few times in Wisconsin. Ridge and swale systems are relatively new post-glacial landforms that include a series of narrow sandy ridges that alternate with low swales, parallel to the Lake Michigan shoreline (Figure 2).The vegetation in this community can include rare plants, with herbaceous plants and shrubs on the ridges while sedge wetland communities occupy the swales. Due to their location, these communities have experienced substantial historic losses due to shoreline development, hydrological alteration, and fragmentation.

Located just 600 ft from Lake Michigan, preserving the Kaas Project by acquisition in 2020 was the critical first step followed by restoring the site to increase diversity of amphibians as well as both breeding and migrating birds. Restoring the vegetation includes replacing green ash in the canopy with resilient native trees, controlling invasive honeysuckle and Japanese knotweed in the shrub layer, and replacing invasive reed canary grass with native sedges in the herbaceous layer. Following treatment of invasive species in 2020/2021, restoration will include seeding native wetland and planting trees and shrubs.

Long-term stewardship of these sites and continued vegetation maintenance using an adaptive management approach is planned to protect and improve the quality of these sites and maintain a healthy watershed. These sites showed response immediately after construction and since have increased biodiversity and given the public an opportunity to learn about habitat restoration and enjoy the seasonal wildlife use and outdoor recreation opportunities. Get outside and explore what these unique and rare ecosystems have to offer!

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Our primary target invasive species is non-native Phragmites, which is found in wetlands, riparian areas, shorelines and other wet areas such as roadside ditches. Invasive Phragmites takes over large areas, pushes out native vegetation, and reduces habitat quality for wildlife. Long-term control over the course of many years is essential to protect habitat quality, water quality, access to shorelines and property values.

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We have made significant progress mitigating the spread of Phragmites. Without multiple years of consecutive control, Phragmites will re-establish and the momentum gained will be lost. Our grant funding is ending after the 2021 growing season in Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties and we need additional funding to support on-going efforts in Ozaukee, Calumet and Fond du Lac counties. Therefore, we are seeking your financial support to establish a long-term control fund to continue our efforts where needed across all counties. This Phragmites fund will directly support on-the-ground control efforts and the professional development of student interns who are completing the bulk of the re-treatment efforts.

Our goal is to make your county Phragmites-free, by raising at least $300,000 to support on-going control efforts over the next 3 years. A strong collective Phragmites fund will ensure the investment of time and resources will be protected for the benefit of future generations. Please help us contribute to keeping Wisconsin’s ecosystem healthy and thriving.

visit the LISMA Phragmites Control Project website

to use a credit card or send a check made payable to Glacierland RC&D to

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Glacierland RC&D

P.O. Box 11203

Green Bay, WI 54307

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For more information or questions, contact Glacierland at 920-465-3006