Water lovers of all ages are invited to join the Lincoln County Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS)
Team to search for AIS during the statewide AIS Snapshot Day. The event will be held on
Saturday, August 19 from 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, at Prairie Trails Park in Merrill. Prairie Trails Park
is located near the intersection of County HWY K and County HWY G. This fun, hands-on citizen
science event relies on volunteers to help search designated shoreline sites along lakes, rivers,
and streams for signs of non-native plants and animals that pose risks to Wisconsin waterways.
Coordinated in partnership by Water Action Volunteers (WAV), UW-Madison Division of
Extension, River Alliance of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and local
partners, Snapshot Day is entering its 10 th successful year. Information collected will be
provided to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to inform and guide monitoring
and response efforts. Volunteers are key to the success of the event.
On AIS Snapshot Day, participants will meet at 8:30 am for a brief training provided by Lincoln
County Land Services Department Staff. After training, teams will head to nearby lakes and
rivers to monitor the shorelines for previously undocumented AIS, collect suspected specimens,
and then return to Prairie Trails Park to review findings and share their experiences. Volunteers
can monitor at their own comfort level – from the shore with binoculars and rakes or wade in
shallow water to get a better look.
“Projects like AIS Snapshot Day are a fun and simple way for volunteers to get engaged and for
the local site leaders and DNR to collaborate” says Maureen Ferry, DNR AIS Monitoring
Coordinator. “DNR has a long list of sites with suspected but unverified AIS that AIS Snapshot Day monitoring targets. This increases the chances of volunteers finding a species. Plus, each
year, we make new detections.”
Last year over 150 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to monitor at more than 234 sites across
the state making for a fun and safe event.
Snapshot Day is free, and no experience is necessary. The event is recommended for ages 8 and
up, and minors must be accompanied by an adult. Advance registration is requested to help
Site Leaders build monitoring plans, but will remain open until August 13th. To register and see
event details, please visit the Water Action Volunteers website at:
https://wateractionvolunteers.org/events/ .
For more information, please contact Tom Boisvert, Conservation Program Manager, at 715-
539-1054 or [email protected].