Snapshot Day on August 18th is a Statewide Water Monitoring Event
Volunteers needed to search for invasive species!
WISCONSIN – Whether you’re a retiree or a parent, a teacher or a college student—your help is needed for a statewide search for aquatic invasive species on August 18th, 2018. The fun, hands-on effort, known as Snapshot Day, relies on participants to monitor local lakes and streams at designated sites across the state for signs of non-native plants and animals that pose risks to Wisconsin waterways and wildlife.
Information collected by citizen volunteers will be provided to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to inform and guide further monitoring and response efforts.
“Snapshot Day volunteers are our early detectors, they are the first line of defense in aquatic invasive species prevention,” explained Natalie Dutack, Watershed Groups Manager at River Alliance of Wisconsin. “By taking part, you’re helping to protect the health of Wisconsin’s waters for everyone to enjoy. Volunteers help invasive species resource managers prepare a rapid response,” Dutack continued.
In Polk County, the St. Croix River Association (SCRA) is gearing up for their 5th year hosting this event. “Snapshot Day is a great opportunity for community members to get out and work together to check our streams and rivers for potentially harmful invasive species. Last year, we found an Asian clam the furthest north it’s been documented in the St. Croix. Understanding where these species are is invaluable to resource managers–and understanding what is out there and why it could be harmful is invaluable to our communities,” Angelique Dahlberg, Invasive Species Program Lead at SCRA shared.
Snapshot Day is a collaboration between River Alliance of Wisconsin, UW Extension’s Citizen Lake Monitoring Network, the Wisconsin DNR and more than 15 local partners. Nearly 200 volunteers are expected to join the search for invasive species, which include escaped or intentionally released water garden and aquarium species that can choke out our rivers and streams and impair vital habitat.
Coordination of this event is made possible with generous support from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources through an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Education, Planning and Prevention grant.
EVENT DETAILS:
Saturday, August 18th
8:30am-1pm
There are 21 Snapshot Day sites around the state this year. Following a brief identification training, volunteers will disperse to collect samples at critical monitoring sites and then reconvene to report what they found.
No experience is necessary and training is provided. This is a free event. Recommended for ages 8 and up, minors must be accompanied by an adult.
SITE LOCATIONS:
- Ashland
- Barnes
- Chilton
- Chippewa Falls
- Cross Plains
- Florence
- Fond du Lac
- Kingsford, MI
- La Crosse
- Lake Tomahawk
- Lakewood
- Menasha
- Shawano
- Sheboygan
- St. Croix Falls
- Sturgeon Bay
- Waukesha
- Waupaca
- West Bend
- White Lake
- Winneconne
REGISTRATION:
Register and see all event details at: www.wisconsinrivers.org/snapshot-day/
Advance registration is recommended by August 3rd to help coordinators build monitoring plans, but registration will remain open until August 17th.
About the River Alliance of Wisconsin:
Formed in 1993, River Alliance of Wisconsin is a statewide non-profit, non-partisan citizen advocacy organization that works to protect and restore Wisconsin’s rivers and watersheds. The organization’s membership includes more than 2,500 individuals and businesses and more than 80 local watershed groups – one of the largest memberships of statewide river groups in the country. For more information, visit www.wisconsinrivers.org.
Project Partners:
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bayfield County Land & Water Conservation Department, Calumet Groundwater Guardians, Beaver Creek Reserve, Southwest Badger RC&D, Florence County Land Conservation, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, North Lakeland Discovery Center, University of Wisconsin Extension, Glacierland RC&D, Waukesha County, Vilas County Land and Water Conservation Dept., St. Croix River Association, Golden Sands RC&D, Lumberjack RC&D, Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department, and many more.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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