PULLING TOGETHER through some friendly competition

Our Garlic Mustard Pull-A-Thon is an annual fundraising event, where we encourage folks throughout southeastern Wisconsin to protect the woodlands of their neighborhoods by pulling this invasive plant.  Our 2016 goal is to collectively pull 5,000 pounds and raise essential funds for the fight against invasive species – so join us! 

The pull-a-thon is a competition, a fundraiser, and a way for people to join together and have a positive impact on their environment.  Our natural areas will only avoid damage from invasives with a long-term sustained commitment to invasives control.  Help raise funds for a sustainable invasives program at the same time that you help to reduce garlic mustard seed production in 2016.

All proceeds will be used for invasive species education, prevention and control in southeastern Wisconsin and contributions are tax-deductible.  The Pull-A-Thon Traveling Trophy and bragging rights will be awarded to the Team that collects the most pledges and pulls the most garlic mustard by June 30, 2016.

Pull-A-Thon Objectives:

• Promote repeated control and proper disposal of garlic mustard and dame’s rocket in our parks and natural areas.
• Promote public awareness of invasive species issues.
• Share control methods and best management practices with land owners and managers and strengthen local volunteer efforts.
• Raise operational funds for SEWISC and our partner organizations.

Please visit: 2016 Garlic Mustard Pull-A-Thon for more information on this exciting annual event.  Register a team, join a team and/or donate to a team!

Web-based work day calendar

Get outside this spring with friends, family and co-workers and help to improve your neighborhood natural areas!  You can find opportunities on our web-based Volunteer Work Day calendar. Easily view the calendar by choosing Volunteer Calendar under the Volunteer tab on our website home page and selecting any of the eight counties located in our region. Click on a posted event to access additional work day details such as location, time and contact information. Join the opportunities in your neighborhood!

If your organization would like to advertise an event on the calendar, please choose the Volunteer Calendar under the Volunteer tab on our website home page and simply click the button to submit an event on the Work Days Event Submission Form.  Make sure you include: 1) the name of your event, 2) date and time, 3) location with address, and 4) contact information.  SEWISC Staff and volunteers will receive your event submission and post the information to our calendar as soon as possible. 

You are invited to participate

Wisconsin First Detector Network (WIFDN) is a citizen science volunteer network designed to improve the detection and reporting of invasive species throughout Wisconsin. WIFDN combines online learning through recorded videos and interactive webinars with hands on training and volunteer opportunities.

2016 WIFDN online training will begin the current series of webinar sessions on March 25th 2016.

Lean more about the network training and register at: http://fyi.uwex.edu/WIFDN

Don’t miss this hand’s on class

Many of us work to control invasive plants in the areas we care about.  Take this class to ensure that you are using the most appropriate, efficient, up-to-date, and least environmentally damaging methods in those efforts.

May 21, 2016 (Saturday) 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Workshop fee: $60.00
Discounted fee of $45 offered to SEWISC members
Contact us for details: (262) 675-6844

Available for 0.8 CEU

After an introduction to the general ecology of the five functional groups of invasive plants (shrubs, perennial forbs, clonal perennials, grasses, and annuals/biennials), we will discuss, demonstrate and practice all applicable control methods (chemical and non-chemical) for these five plant types.

Topics will also include: 1) Identification of our common and relatively new invaders, 2) Planning and strategy for an effective control program, 3) Use of hand tools and herbicide application methods, 4) Herbicide concentrations, mixing, and safety, 5) Restoration strategies for badly infested sites, and 6) Record keeping.  Safe chainsaw use for woody species will be demonstrated only.  Several handouts and reference materials will be provided.  Register today!

Spreading the word on invasive species

Our table-top exhibit is always on the go; traveling to conferences, fairs, libraries, and workshops throughout our 8-county region and exhausting the supply of our educational brochures and handouts.   Through a generous grant from Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin’s C.D. Besadny Conservation Grant Program, we updated and restocked our supply of membership brochures and purchased “Stop Aquatic Hitchhiker Bobbers” which will be distributed to the public to educate them about the need to clean invasive plant and animal debris from their boats after recreating in our lakes. We also printed and distributed our attractive ready-to-hang SEWISC posters to nature centers and other public facilities in an effort to educate the many individuals who visit their facilities. 

To protect wildlife habitat

Often overlooked as conservationists, hunters and anglers have been and remain committed, key supporters of conserving Wisconsin’s beautiful natural resources.  They know first-hand about the impacts that non-native invasive species are having on our hunting and fishing habitat such as forests becoming ugly thickets of honeysuckle and buckthorn, or lakes made almost unfishable by Eurasian water-milfoil or zebra mussels. Over time, invasive species can ruin our favorite hunting and fishing spots and perhaps more than any other group, hunters and anglers are bearing the brunt of the impacts of invasive species.

Through a partnership with the James E. Dutton Foundation, Inc. we recently reached out to hunters and anglers in southeastern Wisconsin to help them work together with environmental nonprofits and government agencies to control the degradation of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitats by non-native plant and animal species.  Educational materials were prepared and sent to nearly 9,000 individuals through this effort.

We reluctantly bade farewell to Jerry Ziegler, who joined the Board in 2008 and served as Board Vice President for 3 years and as President for 2 years.  Succeeding Jerry is former Vice President, Andy Holschbach, who has served on the Board for the past 8 years. Other changes include 6 new Directors who joined the Board in January and will each serve initial three-year terms:

Natalie Dorrler is Associate Director of Development at Riveredge Nature Center and Invasive Species Coordinator for the Friends of the Mukwonago River. Natalie is experienced in securing grants and managing funded projects for publicity and outreach, invasive species control, land stewardship, nature based education and partnership building.

Bob Wakeman (on the left in this photo with bigfoot) is the Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources specializes in water resources management and is the statewide spokesperson for aquatic invasive species. Bob’s experience and agency representation includes aquatic plant management, grant programs, and partnerships with Wisconsin lake property owners.

Melissa Curran currently works as a Botanist for Stantec Consulting Services, where she assists clients with ecological and botanical assessments and characterizations; natural resource inventories including rare, threatened, and endangered species surveys; long-term biological monitoring; and environmental permitting. She manages large-scale orchid conservation projects and regularly teaches workshops and gives lectures on orchid conservation.

Samantha Geyer is Field Supervisor for the Milwaukee County Parks Natural Areas and specializes in urban natural resources management and invasive species education. Samantha is responsible for leading project teams in conducting all of the invasive species management within the County Park System’s natural areas. She is also a DATCP certified applicator for use of herbicides. 

Scott Horzen is a Wetland Ecologist and Botanist for Oneida Total Integrated Enterprises and specializes in natural resources consulting. Scott’s expertise includes natural areas assessment, native restoration, and land management.  He has a strong background in invasive species management and is a DATCP certified applicator for use of herbicides.

Jean Weedman serves as President/Chair of Eagle Nature Trail, is a former Board Member for the Friends of the Mukwonago River, and retired educator Oak Creek-Franklin School District. Jean’s expertise includes education, writing, communication and outreach, as well as membership development. She also has experience in native plant and prairie restoration, including invasive species management.

We also extend tremendous gratitude to newly retired members Mike Yanny, Julia Robson and Nan Calvert for their commitment to our mission and for the innovative ideas they shared throughout their terms of service.

Plan to attend this fourth biennial conference