Raise Funds for Your Local Group by Pulling Invasive Plants

It’s time to pull together and raise funds during our annual Garlic Mustard Pull-A-Thon. Now in its eighth year, the event encourages folks across southeastern Wisconsin to protect their local woodlands by pulling this invasive plant. More people are participating each year, so spread the word and join us to help stop the spread of garlic mustard!

This is a great opportunity to raise funds for your own organization as well as our regional efforts to fight invasive species. You can form a team, join a team and donate. Our 2020 goal is to collectively pull 20,000 lbs. (10 TONS!) and have a great time together while protecting natural areas from invasive plant damage. Securing pledges is easy; sponsors can donate directly through our website. Pullers are encouraged to ask friends, family and others to support their efforts in caring for the land.

The pull-a-thon is also a competition, so the team that rises to the top by June 30, 2020 will earn bragging rights and take home the legendary traveling trophy. Our natural areas will only avoid damage from invasives with long-term sustained commitment to control of invasives. Half of all proceeds go to participating organizations that raise funds, and half go to SEWISC. All funds will be used for invasive species education, prevention and control in southeastern Wisconsin. Contributions are tax-deductible.

Here are our Annual Pull-A-Thon objectives (yea, let’s DO THIS!):

• 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 landowners and managers and strengthen local volunteer efforts.
• Raise educational funds for SEWISC and our partner organizations.

Visit 2020 Garlic Mustard Pull-A-Thon for more information. You can register a team, join a team and donate to a team.

Check out our web-based workday 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 Workday 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 workday 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, simply click Work Days Event Submission Form under the Volunteer tab on our website home page.  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.

SEWISC continues to assist and support southeastern Wisconsin roadway maintenance crews in their efforts to control invasive plant populations which were mapped through the efforts of more than 150 resident volunteers.  Wild parsnip, common and cut-leaved teasel, Japanese knotweed and common reed grass populations are the target of these citizen science inventory efforts. 

SEWISC held meetings with key representatives in more than 100 cities, towns and villages in our region.  The invasive species inventory data was shared with the local officials and roadway managers during those meetings along with methods to control those populations. Roadway managers expressed a need for additional funding to control the populations, so we set our sights on securing those funds.

Nearly $551,000 in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding through the Environmental Protection Agency was awarded to SEWISC for the control of 2,174 populations of our target inventory species along the roadways in Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha Counties. Roadway crews in those counties must use this funding for control efforts by September 30, 2020. Visit our Roadside Inventory and Management web page for more information and to view the map for your area. Local governments must contact us soon for your sub-awards details.

Our thanks to past and our welcome to new members

2020 brought the departure of three treasured Board Members. Jean Weedman has served on the SEWISC Board of Directors for the past 4 years sharing her energy, creativity and vast expertise with many of our important projects and programs.  Elected to the Board in 2017, Jeff Veglahn graciously contributed his knowledge of land stewardship, ecology and public outreach.  Mandie Zopp joined the Board in 2019 and expertly managed our social media communications for a full year before she moved on to a new career.  We thank Jean, Jeff and Mandie for their strong, thoughtful leadership and dedicated service throughout their terms of service on the SEWISC Board of Directors.  Two new Directors joined our Board in January and will each serve initial three-year terms.  Join us in welcoming:

Eric Hyde graduated from UW-Stevens Point with a BS in Natural Resource Management and a minor in GIS in 2010. After graduation he filled two Wisconsin DNR LTE positions as an Aquatic Plant Manager and Stormwater Specialist. From there Eric took a full time position with the Washington County Land & Water Conservation where he was a Conservation Technician for 6 years. Eric built relationships with landowners helping to implement conservation best management practices throughout the County and spent a significant amount of time working on point and non-point runoff modeling in the County. In 2017 Eric moved on to the position of County Parks & Trails Manager where he oversees the entire operation of the Washington County Park System’s. He lives in Waubeka with his girlfriend and enjoys camping, backpacking, kayaking, disc golf, golf, and basically anything outside.

Kacey Tait graduated with a BS in both Wildlife Ecology and Biology and an MS in Biological Teaching with a focus in Inquiry-Based Education. For 12 years, she has worked as a naturalist at forest preserve districts, nature centers, and nationally accredited zoos around the midwest to create meaningful and inspired connections between people and the natural world around them. Currently, she is the Inquiry-Based Curriculum and Instruction Manager at Riveredge Nature Center where she oversees the development and coordination of programming for the nearly 8,000 students who visit each year for environmental education. In her spare time, she enjoys fossil hunting, graphic design and art, and volunteering at the Milwaukee Public Museum.