Wisconsin’s rivers are vulnerable to invasion by a number of alien species from Eurasian milfoil to Japanese knotweed. The key to successfully protecting your river is detecting invasive species early when it is still possible to isolate or eradicate the infestation. The longer we wait to find and fight them, the more time and money it will take.

This is where you come in. Volunteers are invaluable for early detection. SCRA will be co-hosting two Project RED trainings with the Polk County Land and Water Department and the River Alliance of Wisconsin. Project RED (Riverine Early Detectors) training provides citizen volunteers with the necessary tools to be a Riverine Early Detector. The protocols are easy and fun.
Two training dates are planned:

July 16 and July 27. During this free training you will learn to monitor your river by canoe, kayak, or on foot for 16 species of concern. You can choose the location and a monitoring schedule that’s convenient for you. You’ll learn to report and map your findings with online data management tools available through the Wisconsin DNR SWIMS database. And if you identify an invasive species in your riparian corridor, help is available for you to take the next step of eradicating or otherwise controlling the invader.

For more information or to take part in one of the trainings call 715-483-3300 or email info@scramail.com and say you’re interested in becoming a RED volunteer.

Project RED is a collaboration between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the National Institute for Invasive Species Science and the River Alliance of Wisconsin.