Friday, June 29, 2007
1:00pm to 4:30pm
(Location TBA)

To Register:
Patrick Nehring
UW-Extension
(920) 787-0416

Help protect your favorite lake from VHS fish virus and aquatic invasive species!

'Clean Boats' habits help to prevent the spread of aquatic invasives and the VHS fish virus.
This training workshop will provide you with the skills and resource kit you need to teach fellow boaters about 'Clean Boats' habits.

Cost is $25 and includes registration for one lake representative and one resource kit.
(Additional lake representatives may attend at no cost.)
Kit includes educational materials, invasive species ID cards, watercraft inspection stickers, and
T-shirts that can be worn during boat inspections.
Pre-registration preferred. Seating limited.

FERN ISLAND

Student Field Trip
&
Community Work Party

Our first work party was a great success and we welcome you to join us next year! (See dates below.) On Friday, October 13th, 2006, eleven community volunteers came out to assist 60 students from Wausau East and DC Everest high schools in removing buckthorn, an invasive shrub species, on Fern Island, part of Oak Island Park, in Wausau, WI.

The all day field trip included an indoor educational session about invasive species issues, buckthorn identification and control methods, followed by outdoor, hands-on control work. The students commented ont he activity being a whothwhile alternative to sitting in a classroom. "I can't believe how much (buchthorn) there is", commented one student.

It was a good way to learn, but also a good way to improve a valuable community green space, since buckthorn can become so dense that it completely shades out native plants and tree seedlings. No tree seedlings means no mature trees in the future.

Students were trained in proper identification of buckthorn and how to pull the small plants by hand, or cutting of the larger shruba. The adult volunteers then treated any cut stumps with a herbicide that would kill the shrub's root system nd prevent re-sprouting, or "suckering".

In just a few hours, the students worked their way through most of the island, eliminating a good percentage of the mature, fruit bearing-sized shrubs. Reducing seed production will greatly help to slow the spread of buckthorn on the island.

The Student Field Trip was part one of the two-day event organized by Golden Sands RC&D, Part two was a Community Work Party on Saturday, October 14th that followed up on the work the students had done. Approximately seventeen volunteers came together for a short training session, followed by a hands on work party.

As volunteers worked their way through the forest, the Wausau natives reminisced on how Fern Island used to look. "I remember walking here with my friends, and you could hide in the ferns, they were so thick and so tall", reflected Rich Warosh, member of WI Woodland Owners Association. "Your friends would walk right by and not even see you. That's why they called it 'Fern Island'."

In recent years, that has changed, as the lush ferns were crowded out by buckthorn. Although there was still a lot of buckthorn left at the end of the day, the volunteers had made great progress and looked forward to returning next year to continue their work.

"I can't wait to see what (native plants) come back", remarked Kay Tessmer, member of the Master Gardener program. Tessmer and the other volunteers know it will take persistence to eliminate the buckthorn and give the native plants and trees a chance to thrive again. "The native seeds are there in the soil, just waiting for some sunlight."

Golden Sands RC&D would like to thank the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB) for critical grant support.

Kudos to our many wonderful volunteers from the Wausau & Marathon Co Parks, Recreation & Forestry Dept, WI Woodland Owners Association, WDNR, UW-Extension North Central Technical College, and Master Gardeners,