Help Protect Our Rivers from Invasive Species!
Classroom and Field Trainings to be offered Thursday, June 11th from 6 pm – 8 pm and Tuesday, June16th from 6 pm – 8 pm in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
The River Alliance of Wisconsin, St. Croix River Association, National Park Service, Polk County Land and Water Resources Department, and Wisconsin DNR will host two classroom trainings and a paddle on the St. Croix River to teach citizens how to monitor for invasive species in rivers. Paddlers, fisherman, water quality monitors, shoreline owners, and river enthusiasts are encouraged to attend.
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 St. Croix River Association, National Park Service, and Polk County Land and Water Resources Department 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, Japanese hops, yellow iris, curly-leaf pondweed, Eurasian water milfoil, zebra mussel, quagga mussel, and New Zealand mudsnail.
Project RED trainings are scheduled for Thursday, June 11th from 6 pm – 8 pm and Tuesday, June16th from 6 pm – 8 pm at the St. Croix River Association, 230 S. Washington Street, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. A paddle on the St. Croix River (weather permitting) will be held on Tuesday, June 23th to practice monitoring protocols in the field. All equipment, including canoes and life vests, will be supplied. To reserve your space, please contact the St. Croix River Association at 715-483-3300 or sign up online at: https://www.stcroixriverassociation.org/event/projectred-training/
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.