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| LISMA April 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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Summer Watercraft Inspectors
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| Glacierland Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc is seeking a watercraft inspector for the Clean Boats Clean Waters program. You can apply for either Kewaunee County or Manitowoc County. Each position will be a part time, 15-20 hour per week, per county, limited term position for May – August 2024.
Primary Duties will include
• Complete Clean Boats Clean Waters training workshop.
• Inspect watercraft and trailers for invasive species at public water access sites.
• Educate the public on how to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.
• Distribute informational materials to boaters.
• Conduct a verbal survey and enter data to the SWIMS online database.
• Participate in State-wide led efforts including Drain Campaign, AIS Snapshot Day, Landing Blitz, and Project RED.
Inspectors are required to work during peak boating hours including weekends and some holidays. Compensation for this position is $15-$18 per hour. Employee will need to provide their own transportation to work sites.
Application Deadline: Open until filled.
Interested applicants should email a cover letter and resume along with 3 references to Valerie O’Connor at [email protected].
Questions may also be directed to Valerie O’Connor at [email protected] or 920-808-1225. |
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| Partner Project Volunteer Dates |
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Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed
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| Join the Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed this Spring for volunteering opportunities at Lower Henry Schuette Park. In 2020, the city of Manitowoc partnered with Lakeshore Natural Resources Partnership (LNRP), Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed (FMRW) and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. and began a restoration project for the park. Glacierland RC&D worked with LNRP to provide additional funding for these restoration efforts. Every year since, our partners work alongside each other to maintain and restore the park and existing Ice Age Trail that runs through the area. If you would like to help our efforts towards Lower Henry Schuette Park, please register to join us by visiting the FMRW website listed on the flyer or simply click on the button below labeled “Register here!”. We hope to see you there! |
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Friends of Kettle Moraine – Northern Unit
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| This year marks the beginning of the sixth year of volunteer effort to affect positive change in our environment. Many of the invasive species that we have been working on can easily diminish the biodiversity of the native flora in the Forest. We are lucky to have 12 state natural areas (SNA) in the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit (KMSF-NU). Our state natural areas are designated to preserve the best of Wisconsin prairies, forests, and wetlands. These unique places are home to 90% of Wisconsin’s threatened and endangered plant species and 75% of the animal species. We have been working intensively in two of these SNAs for the last five years. |
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| Haskell Noyes SNA is 61 acres of prime dry-mesic forest as it was never heavily logged or clear cut during the logging era of the 19th century. The land was purchased in 1947 to prevent imminent logging and was designated a state natural area in 1952. It has a rich diversity of plants that are under threat from invasive species, such as garlic mustard and buckthorn. Because of our volunteer effort, we are finding fewer and fewer of these plants throughout this SNA.
Volunteer days for garlic mustard removal in Haskell Noyes SNA are:
Wednesdays, May 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th from 4:30 pm to 7 pm.
Thursdays, May 2nd , 9th , 16th , 23rd, and 30th from 4:30 pm to 7 pm.
Saturdays, May 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, and June 1st from 9 am to noon.
Meet at the Haskell Noyes parking lot on GGG. |
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| Spruce Lake Bog State Natural Area is one of the most southerly bogs in Wisconsin. The site is rich in plants more characteristic of northern Wisconsin sphagnum bogs. It was designated a state natural area in 1968. It contains a variety of sedges, shrubs and herbaceous plants and there is a boardwalk that leads to the 35 acre lake. For many years, reed canary grass has been spreading into the bog. After four years of volunteer efforts, we are seeing a return of many more orchids, ferns and other unique plants along the boardwalk.
Volunteer days for reed canary grass removal in Spruce Lake Bog SNA are:
Saturdays, June 8th and 15th from 9 am to noon.
Meet at the Spruce Lake Bog parking lot on Airport Road. |
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| The Friends of the NKMSF are excited to fund some of the invasive species control work around the Ice Age Center this year. We plan to hire a contractor to open up the view from the deck to the outwash plain. Over the years, trees have grown and now block the view. We also plan to manage the prairie that was planted when the building was erected, and rid the adjacent trails of buckthorn and honeysuckle. We would like to show visitors what a healthy ecosystem looks like.
Volunteer day for removal of some invasive shrubs at the Ice Age Center:
OutWiGo Volunteering: Invasive Species Awareness Day
June 22, 2024 from 10 am – 12 pm
Meet at the Ice Age Visitor Center parking lot on 67. |
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| We are expanding our volunteer efforts to target two other invasive plants, Japanese hedge parsley and cut-leaf teasel starting in the Zillmer trails area. Japanese hedge parsley, an easily overlooked member of the carrot family, is particularly abundant in this part of the Northern Unit and we will concentrate on the
hiking trails because it has a seed that clings to clothing and animal hair. Past control efforts by DNR staff and our volunteers have had positive results.
Volunteer days for removal of Japanese hedge parsley in the Zillmer area are:
Wednesdays, June 26th and July 3rd from 4:30 pm to 7 pm.
Saturdays, June 29th and July 6th from 9 to noon.
Meet at the Zillmer Shelter on SS.
Cut-leaf teasel is well established and spreading in surrounding areas. To date, cut-leaf teasel has only been seen in the Zillmer Trail Area and a few other sites in the Forest and past efforts show that it can be contained.
Volunteer days for removal of cut-leaf teasel are:
Saturdays, July 13th and July 20th from 9 to noon
Meet at the Zillmer Shelter on SS. Note: we might travel to the town of New Fane on the second date. |
| The Greenbush Kettle Prairie has not yet been designated a state natural area, but it is one of the few sites in the Kettle Moraine that contains original prairie vegetation. The site has 2 steep, undisturbed slopes that were never plowed separated by a flat area that was farmed. This former farm field was abandoned several decades ago and the field is growing back with many native plants. Unfortunately, the past soil disturbance has given an opportunity for non-native weeds to grow too. We are working to remove the exotic plants to encourage the native prairie.
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 [email protected].
“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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| New faces of Glacierland RC&D |
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Meet & Greet with Valerie and Kristyn!
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| Valerie O’Connor:
Invasive Species Coordinator |
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| Kristyn Ritchie:
Ecologist |
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| Come meet us on Friday, May 3rd from 12:00-1:00pm This will be a public informal virtual zoom meeting where we can get to know each other. Ask us about our current projects, or just pop in to say hello! We look forward to it! |
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Summer internship beginning in May
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| Glacierland’s summer internship program is kicking off next month for the 3rd year. With 15-20 college students hired, this is our largest team in three years. The interns will be working daily under the supervision of Stantec professionals to control invasive species outbreaks across Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Calumet and Fond du lac counties. The first half of the field season, they will learn how to identify a variety of invasive species and work as large groups to control them. In the second half of the field season, they will focus primarily on our phragmite control project. To learn more about this project and how you can get involved, please click on the button below to be directed to our website. |
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| Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) is a perennial or biennial Eurasian ornamental plant introduced to the United States in the 1600’s. Dame’s rocket is related to the mustard family and is well established across most of the country. It will typically be seen in moist wooded areas and along roadsides. Today, this weed is commonly mistaken as a native wildflower and can even be found in native wildflower seed mix from stores. In Wisconsin, dame’s rocket is considered invasive and draws concern due to their ability to spread quickly in large quantities ultimately crowding out native vegetation. |
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| In certain states including Wisconsin, dame’s rocket negatively impacts our woodlands through a chain reaction. As this weed crowds out native plants, the native insects who rely on native plants for food are displaced. This also affects the bird population whose main diet consists of these insects. Dame’s rocket can quickly change the entire ecosystem where they establish by causing this chain effect. A single dame’s rocket can produce 20,000 seeds for dispersal. Control is crucial to preventing dame’s rocket to form monocultures and destroy the biodiversity of Wisconsin woodlands.
Dame’s rocket can grow anywhere in between 1.5 – 3 feet tall. They have four petals per flower and are purple, white, and pink in color from late spring through summer. The flowers form in rounded clusters and are very fragrant making them identifiable. Their leaves are long, finely-toothed, lance-shaped, and alternately arranged on the stem. Both the stem and leaves are covered with fine hairs. Dame’s rocket is commonly mistaken for our native Phlox spp. however can be distinguished easily because the native species has 5 petals on their flowers instead of 4 and has opposite leaves instead of alternating. |
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| Dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis) |
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| Wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) |
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Control
Mechanical: Hand pulling in early spring helps to prevent the further spread of dame’s rocket in Wisconsin as their eradication throughout the country is unlikely. All weeds that are pulled must be bagged (especially while in bloom) and properly disposed into a landfill. There is also the method of prescribed-burns. Burning is a great control method for large areas where invasive species have taken over. Prescribed burns in the spring time can kill germinating seedlings and with the right fire intensity, can stop growth from the surface level. However, burns are not a singular method for reducing population and would need to be paired with another form of control such as chemical control. |
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Chemical: Herbicide foliar sprays containing glyphosate or triclopyr are effective when treating dame’s rocket. Sprays can be applied when the flowers are in bloom or in the spring and fall directly onto the basal rosette (a cluster of leaves crowded in circles or spirals at the base of the plant). See picture to the right. |
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| Prevention steps
· Inspect wildflower seed mixes for this species especially when bought from out of state. If found in Wisconsin seed mix, contact your local DNR for further instructions.
· If you recognize spreading of dame’s rocket in areas you have not seen them previously, you can contact your local DNR or the Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection (DATCP) with photos and the location of where it was found.
· Remove small populations of identified dame’s rocket on your property, bag flower heads in bloom, and dispose of them at a landfill.
· Do NOT buy, sell, or plant dame’s rocket in Wisconsin; it is illegal. |
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| Sources: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, Michigan Audubon Society |
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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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