"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Teddy Roosevelt

Our weather is trending toward spring, but we're not quite there yet.  Most of our days recently have been gloomy and windy with temperatures in the upper 30s/low 40s.  We had a couple of minor snowfalls in the last couple of weeks, and might get another few inches overnight tonight.  No tree buds or spring flowers yet, but Happy Easter anyway! 

My days have been busier recently since I started a part-time position in late March with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (same agency that Scott works for) coordinating a project to treat invasive wetland plants in the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Michigan.  The main culprit, known as Phragmites australis or common reed (which many of you "real" coastal inhabitants already recognize) spreads very quickly, grows 10-15 feet tall, and takes over the wetland from diverse native plants.  Phragmites is not particularly good for wildlife since it has no real food value, limited cover value once it becomes very dense, and dries the wetland making it less suitable for some wildlife and fish.   

Wisconsin DNR Green Bay Service Center (from late last summer)

Some people find Phragmites a nuisance because it blocks the view from their waterfront homes and prevents or limits shoreline access, yet others like it for various reasons, including shoreline stabilization, cover for hunting, or even using it for crafts and other applications.  One of the other real human concerns is the fire danger caused by large expanses of Phragmites, especially the dead standing material on drier sites.

Phragmites is good at outcompeting many of the other native plants and reproduces quickly through runners underground as well as seeds, making it very hard to manage once it gets out of control.  Unfortunately, mowing (essentially using a tractor or other equipment to knock it down) is not very effective without some other type of control method.  The WDNR received Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Restoration Act grants to manage areas in NEW (NorthEast WI) that have been hit hard by Phragmites, and this is the 4th and final year of the program.  My job will involve organizing the management effort this season, coordinating with contractors to come in and apply herbicides to kill Phragmites, and cooperating with private landowners and other partners to ensure that management efforts continue on after the program ends.

  A sea of Phragmites on Oconto Marsh along the West Shores of Green Bay (one of the treatment sites)

I work in the same office building as Scott, but on a different floor since I am in the wildlife bureau of the agency (he is in forestry).  I should get to travel locally fairly often to check out the sites and prepare for/follow up on treatments.  The job is a 6-month limited term position with the agency, so the work will end late this year after things start to get cold again.  I have been learning a lot to get myself up to speed since I haven't worked in this exact subject area before, nor with Great Lakes ecosystems; nonetheless, I am excited to contribute to habitat management with the Bay and Lakeshore, two places that we frequent on our adventures as you can tell from the blog.  A lot of folks don't associate Wisconsin with "coastal" wetlands (minus the salt and tides), but they are a big component of managing natural resources in the region.

If you are interested in reading about Phragmites and its management in the Great Lakes, check out the Great Lakes Phragmites Cooperative website for more information.  I might include some work stories and photos now and then, but we'll stick to the fun stuff on the blog!

"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."  -Teddy Roosevelt

P.S.- Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!