Help Protect Our Rivers from Invasive Species

Public invited to attend classroom and field trainings to be offered in St. Croix Falls, WI.

July 1, 2014

2 minute read

Invasive garlic mustard and a rabbit — Invasive garlic mustard and a bunny (via Wikimedia Commons)

Paddlers, fisherman, water quality monitors, shoreline owners, and river enthusiasts are encouraged to attend two classroom trainings and paddles on the St. Croix River to teach citizens how to monitor for invasive species in rivers.

The River Alliance of Wisconsin’s Project RED (riverine early detectors) is a monitoring program that trains citizens to identify and report invasive species within river corridors statewide. During the free training, the sponsors will teach you to monitor your river by canoe, kayak, or on foot for species of concern. They will help you choose locations and a monitoring schedule that are convenient to you. The protocols are easy and fun. In addition, you can use this activity to become more familiar with your river or stream and to engage your friends and neighbors!

Species of concern include garlic mustard, oriental bittersweet, purple loosestrife, Japanese knotweed, yellow iris, curly-leaf pondweed, Eurasian water milfoil, zebra mussel, quagga mussel, and New Zealand mudsnail.

Project RED trainings are scheduled for Saturday, July 12th from 10am – 2:30pm and Wednesday, July 16th from 1pm – 5:30pm at the St. Croix River Association, 230 S. Washington Street, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. Both training sessions will include a paddle on the St. Croix River (weather permitting). All equipment, including canoes and life vests, will be supplied along with a light lunch or snacks. .

To learn more about invasive species in our river corridors and how you can help in the fight against invasives, please visit the River Alliance’s website: http://wisconsinrivers.org.

Details:

Project RED trainings

July 12th from 10am – 2:30pm and Wednesday
July 16th from 1pm – 5:30pm in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin

To reserve your space, please contact the St. Croix River Association at 715-483-3300 or monicaz@scramail.com

Sponsored by the River Alliance of Wisconsin, St. Croix River Association, National Park Service, Polk County Land and Water Resources Department, and Wisconsin DNR.