Thursday Concurrent Session 1
50 minutes
April 11, 2019 ~ 8:00-8:50 am
Agenda subject to change.
*Two 25-minute presentations
Forestry Best Practices and Erosion Vulnerability Assessment for Water Quality
Lac Courte Oreilles lake is home to a rare and simultaneously fragile two-story fishery that is vulnerable to pollution, exacerbated by climate change. The primary concern affecting the fishery is sediment erosion and phosphorus transport from land to water from various land uses, including silviculture. Geodesign methods index individual forested parcels in the watershed for their sensitivity to timber harvest. Moreover, freely available storymaps provide owners of forested land with a better understanding of the challenge on LCO and how they can partner to protect water quality and the fishery. Additionally, online GIS mapping tools provide landowners with the ability to better plan for timber harvest. These tools are designed specifically for landowners who are not required to create a timber harvest plan or use best management practices (BMP).
Presenter: Douglas Miskowiak, Senior GIS Education Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
The Salt in Wisconsin Lakes
Road salt (sodium chloride) is often thought of as an ‘environmentally safe’ chemical. However, at high concentrations, chloride can alter aquatic ecosystems by stressing freshwater species and can deteriorate drinking water sources. For over 70 years, we have applied road salt to paved surfaces, without any regard for the environmental consequences. This session will focus on long-term chloride trends and the state of Wisconsin’s lakes with regard to chloride contamination. We will discuss which lakes are at risk, and what is currently being done locally to curtail further environmental damage.
Presenter: Hilary Dugan, Assistant Professor, Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Lake, River, and Watershed Capacity 101
Local organizations such as lake associations and lake districts are at the heart of Wisconsin’s 40-plus year history of protection in partnership our legacy of lakes. This session will explain why local organizations play such a critical role in protecting and restoring Wisconsin lakes. We will explore the overarching model that shows the relationship between lake groups other partners like the Wisconsin DNR and UW Extension Lakes. The session concludes with an overview of the four dimensions of capacity we are focusing on: membership, organizational, relational, and programmatic.
Presenter: Eric Olson, Director and Lake Specialist, Extension Lakes
SEE THE VIDEO HERE (YouTube Link)
Outdoor Photography Tips for Lake Lovers
Beauty may be in the eye of the lens. Join Doug Moore, a professional photographer, to see illustrated tips on how to improve your outdoor/nature photos for maximum impact. He will show us the building blocks of nature photography, and we will take some time to explore and "critique" the 2019 photo contest submissions.
Presenter: Doug Moore, Retired Naturalist, Photographer and Geology Enthusiast
Using Targeted Social Media Message Testing to Prevent the Spread of AIS
The prevention of aquatic invasive species (AIS) requires strategic outreach informed by social science. One idea that is relevant to strategic outreach designed to prevent the spread of AIS is message framing, which relates to how the composition of a message influences how individuals respond to the message by making certain parts of an idea more salient. Using a paid targeted messaging test on Facebook focused on learning more about preventing the spread of zebra mussels, we compared five message frames to determine which messages people were most likely to click on to learn more, targeting people who had shown previous interest in boating or fishing. In this session, we will share results of which message frames were most effective in terms of cost per click and which produced the most engagement. We’ll also discuss the implications of these results on preventing the spread of AIS in Wisconsin.
Presenters:
Bret Shaw, Environmental Communication Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Extension
Tim Campbell, AIS Outreach Specialist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Extension
Common Non-game Fishes of Midwestern Lakes
Did you know that the upper Midwest (Western Great Lakes Region) is home to over 150 species of fish? Over 70 of those species commonly occur in lakes—some are found only in lake environments! Among those 70 species only about 20 are significantly sought for sport or for the dinner plate (gamefishes, panfishes, etc.). We are going to discuss the natural history of some of the more common non-game species in non-flowing (lentic) environments in your backyard, particularly lakes and backwaters of large rivers. We’ll cover aspects of their biology such as there feeding habits, life cycles and habitat preferences. We will also discuss their role in the greater ecosystem including how they serve as food for gamefishes and wildlife and how they can serve as ambassadors of overall ecosystem health.
Presenter: Justin Sipiorski, Professor of Biology, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Wisconsin's Civil War: The Battle of Southern and Northern Mammal Species Pairs
John Muir wrote about least chipmunks on his farm in Marquette County in the mid-1800s, but those have been displaced by eastern chipmunks as they expand their range northward. Similar stories can be told about flying squirrels, deer mice, and jumping mice. Our local small mammal communities are dynamic and represent a snapshot in space and time. As the local environment changes, so does the ecological niche. Some, like the white-footed mouse, are marching further north and carrying with them the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease. Some, like voles, are having a hard time surviving milder winters due to a lack of snow cover. Most of this we don’t even notice, but the message they are sending matters to all of us.
Presenter: Chris Yahnke, Professor of Biology, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
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