Empowering Door County citizens and municipalities with the information, tools, and skills to tackle invasive species.
Empowering Door County citizens and municipalities with the information, tools, and skills to tackle invasive species.
The 2020 field season was a busy one! This year was certainly a challenge, but it was also a year full of important discoveries, research, outreach, collaboration, and control of invasive species in Door County. These efforts would not be possible without the amazing seasonal staff including Door County Soil and Water Conservation Department (SWCD) Sam Hoffman and Tina Lee, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay (UW-GB) Andrew Bowker, Jacob Smither and Britney Hirsch, and The Ridges Sanctuary Ben Epley.
Public outreach and education strategies had to be modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Door County Clean Boats Clean Waters (CBCW) participants were able to inspect 860 boats and provide aquatic invasive species prevention messaging to over 1,900 people, while taking proper health safety precautions. Partner properties saw higher volumes of use then previous years, they identified 2-3 times more visitors than a typical year. Additionally, DCIST staff participated in 105 one-on-one landowner visits in response to a variety of landowner concerns about invasive species on their properties.
DCIST was able to inventory and treat approximately 52 acres of Phragmites, 1.3 acres of teasel, 1.3 acres Japanese Knotweed, 35 acres of wild parsnip, and 1.1 acres of prohibited invasive species (black swallow-wort, porcelain berry, and 5-leaf akebia vine). Additionally, 53 acres of non-priority invasive species (buckthorn, garlic mustard, etc.) were treated. For a total of 143 acres of invasive species treated this year.
For more information on this story check out our November newsletter at: https://doorinvasives.org/newsletters
