| LISMA July 2024 Newsletter |
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LISMA distributes a quarterly newsletter that features our upcoming events, partner news, and important invasive species topics and resources for stakeholders in the LISMA region.
If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, or would like to contribute an article to our newsletter please contact the LISMA coordinator. |
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| Glacierland RC&D serves as host for the LISMA Facebook Page and posts all relevant LISMA events, updates and posts from the Glacierland Facebook Page.
To stay updated on LISMA partner events and news between these quarterly newsletters please like and follow Glacierland RC&D on Facebook. |
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Meet Glacierland’s Summer Interns
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| Glacierland’s Invasive Species Management Summer Interns have been working hard on removal of invasive species since May 20th of this year. They have been managing different properties throughout Manitowoc, Sheboygan, and Ozaukee Counties with Stantec crew leads to support their efforts. |
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| They began their field season in late May, focusing on hand pulling invasive species such as Garlic mustard and Dame’s rocket.
Each one of our 17 hired interns studied vigorously and passed their pesticide application exams to become certified to perform herbicide treatment on woody and broadleaf invasive plants. They have taken action in properties such as, Amsterdam Dunes (Sheboygan County), Valley Creek (Ozaukee County), Point Creek, Lower Henry Schuette Park, Silver Creek, B-H Preserve, and Walla-Hi County Park (Manitowoc County). Their impacts are visibly noticeable as they move into the final phase of their summer position.
The interns will now shift their focus to Non-native phragmites. They will be breaking off into pairs and conducting first time treatments and re-treatments to Phragmites populations throughout Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan and Ozaukee Counties. This boots-on-the-ground work is essential to the Phragmites Control Program created in partnership by Stantec, Lakeshore Natural Resources Partnership (LNRP) and Glacierland RC&D. |
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| Phragmites Control Program |
| LISMA members have been partnering on a regional Phragmites Management Program in Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Kewaunee Counties. Through this program, non-native Phragmites is treated with herbicide to kill the plant at the root. Each population is treated for at least three years to eliminate any regrowth after initial treatments. If you would like to learn more about this program, please visit our website. |
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| Non-native Phragmites is a perennial wetland grass that grows three to 20 feet tall with dull, very slightly ridged, stiff and hollow stems and creates dense clones where canes remain visible in winter. It invades moist habitats including lakeshores, river banks and roadways. It is common in disturbed areas and can tolerate brackish waters, dry conditions and alkaline to acidic conditions.
It can quickly become established with extensive rhizomes taking over underground. These rhizomes store energy so the plant can recover from cutting, burning or grazing. It displaces native plant communities and wildlife that depend on them, degrades wetlands, waterways, and shorelines, and reduces public access to these resources, reduces property values, and impacts community health, safety, and economic vitality and large stands increase risk for destructive wildfires. Its aggressiveness and resilience make management a costly multi-year process. |
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| To report a population of Phragmites on your property, you can enter the population from our public reporting web map. Treatments are offered for free to landowners where funding is available. To enter your property into the program you can submit a permission form through our online form or download the form and send it via email or postal mail. For any questions on the program you can reach out to Valerie O’Connor at (920) 808-1225 or valerie@glacierlandrcd.org |
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| Upcoming Volunteer Events |
Friends of Kettle Moraine – Northern Unit
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| Volunteer days for removal of cut-leaf teasel are:
Saturday, July 13th and July 20th from 9am to noon
Meet at the Zillmer Shelter on SS. Note: we might travel to the town of New Fane on the second date. |
| Volunteer days for removal of invasive plants at Greenbush Kettle Prairie are:
Wednesday, July 24th from 4:30 pm to 7 pm
Saturday, July 27th from 9 am to noon. |
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| The schedule of dates list the group outings of the Stewards of the Northern Kettle Moraine and are planned to optimize our collective efforts. We would like to accommodate additional dates and times that better fit any interested individuals or groups; please call Connie at 920-533-8939 with any requests or proposals. We will not be volunteering in August, but will start again in fall with woody invasive species
removal. Our fall volunteer schedule will be in the next issue of the Friend’s newsletter.
The Friends of the Kettle Moraine have long been committed to preserving and protecting our land and water. We hope by volunteering, you will experience the deep rewards that come from contributing to the preservation of biodiversity in the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit.
Please contact Connie Ramthun, Volunteer Coordinator, with any questions or concerns. She will put you on the emailing list with details of the work involved, what to wear and what to bring. Her email address is connieramthun@gmail.com.
“Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.”
Braiding Sweetgrass,
Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
by Robin Wall Kimmerer |
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| For more information about events hosted by the Friends of Kettle Moraine – Northern Unit, visit them at their website: |
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| Aquatic Invasive Species Efforts |
| Glacierland has been working with Kewaunee and Manitowoc County this summer to help educate the public about aquatic invasive species (AIS).
We have been able to participate in statewide events to support the Clean Boats, Clean Waters (CBCW) program. To learn more about CBCW, click here.
This year, we hired Breanna Habeck to be our watercraft inspector for Manitowoc County. She has been conducting boat/watercraft inspections at the Manitowoc Marina and Long Lake boat launches this summer in hopes of providing awareness of AIS and how to prevent the spread. By inspecting boats, she is able educate boaters about how to properly clean their boats to help stop aquatic hitchhikers. |
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Meet Breanna!
My name is Breanna Habeck, and I am from Green Bay, Wisconsin. I will be a junior at UW-Green Bay, I am majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Animal Biology. I enjoy camping, listening to music, working out and within the past few years learning to crochet. |
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| Glacierland participated in statewide events this summer, including the Drain Campaign and Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz. Our interns were also given the opportunity to experience talking to the public about cleaning their boats during these events.
The Drain Campaign coincided with the DNR Free Fishing Weekend on May 31 – June 2. During this weekend, we spent 160 hours stationed at 12 different boat landings; over these 160 hours, we were able to educate 344 boaters on AIS prevention steps.
The Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz took place over the 4th of July; the event ran from June 26th – July 6th. During this week long event, the interns spent half their week working as watercraft inspectors which helped spread awareness to a larger population. We spent 537 hours stationed at 12 boat landings; over 537 hours, we were able to educate just over 1,000 people!
Great work to our entire summer staff for making this possible! |
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| Victoria at Horseshoe Lake |
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| There is more fun to come!
Glacierland is also getting ready to participate in this year’s Aquatic Invasive Species Snapshot Day on August 10th! We will be hosting a training/field day from 8:30am – 12:30pm in Kewaunee County, led by Kristyn Ritchie and Manitowoc County, led by Valerie O’Connor.
Meet up for Kewaunee County will be at:
Selner Park, 710 Main Street, Kewaunee, WI, 54216
Meet up for Manitowoc County will be at:
Henry Schuette Park, 3800 Broadway Street, Manitowoc, WI, 54220
Registration is open now!!
We hope to see you there!
Click here to sign up or scan the QR code on the flyer below! |
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| Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea) is a perennial ornamental plant introduced from Japan to the United States in the late 1800’s. It is a low growing plant (2-3′ tall) and forms dense thickets of bushes. They have small oval green leaves that turn a reddish-brown color during fall and winter seasons. This plant has distinct single sharp spines with berries that are small, oblong, and red. In Wisconsin, they are a restricted species due to their ability to dominate the forest understory by shading out native plants and changing the foraging habits of wildlife. |
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| Japanese barberry is an extremely adaptable plant that can grow in different environments. They have the ability to grow successfully in open fields, wooded forests, and wetlands. This is possible due to their naturally shade-tolerant and drought resistant characteristics. Japanese barberry spreads quickly because their branches grow horizontally; when their branches get long enough and touch the ground, the plant can re-root itself from that point making them extremely difficult to control. |
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| Control
Mechanical: Hand pulling or digging up Japanese barberry in early spring can successfully eradicate the population if you pull the entire root system out from underneath the ground. Watching for re-sprouts is also crucial to prevent the population from re-growing. If the population is too large to remove by hand, you may cut or mow the larger plants before the seed set. Remember that if you use the cut/mow option for larger plants, it will still need to be treated with herbicide or it will re-sprout. |
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| Chemical:
Foliar: Herbicide foliar sprays containing metsulfuron-methyl, triclopyr or glyphosate are effective when treating Japanese barberry. Sprays are effective when the plant is actively growing with their leaves fully leafed out, however, the MOST effective time to spray Japanese barberry is when they are fruiting. This plant can be sprayed individually or over a large broadcasted infestation.
Cut Stump: This method is used with herbicides containing glyphosate. A cut stump method requires you to cut the stem of a plant close to the ground and apply herbicide to the “cut stump” that remains in the ground. Application of herbicide needs to be as soon as possible after cutting the stem. Adding a penetrating oil to herbicide solution may increase effectiveness. You may use this technique at any time in the year.
Basal Bark: The basal bark technique works best on plants with stems 6″ or less in diameter. Using herbicides containing imazapyr or triclopyr can be applied in a ring around the entire stem of the plant. Applications must be at least 6″ wide and between 6-18″ from the base of the plant. Avoid applying herbicide if the bark is wet. Adding a penetrating oil to herbicide solution may increase effectiveness. You may use this technique at any time in the year. |
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Prevention steps
- The best method of prevention is by controlling any known populations.
- If you recognize a new or existing Japanese barberry population, use one of the control methods above to remove it from your property.
- Put seeds, removed plants, or dead plants into a bag and dispose of them at a landfill as trash.
- Educate neighbors and show them how to remove it from their property.
- Do NOT buy, sell, or plant Japanese barberry in Wisconsin; it is illegal.
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| Sources: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Extension |
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| LISMA is a program of Glacierland RC&D. Glacierland RC&D is a nonprofit, grass-roots organization that is committed to wise use and conservation of our natural resources and human resources. We promote sustainability on all levels – environmental, social and economic. This is accomplished by bringing together various agencies, organizations and people to work on projects addressing issues of sustainability in eastern Wisconsin.
Glacierland RC&D | P.O. Box 11203 Green Bay, WI 54307
| (920) 465-3006 | Email | Website |
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