2022 Six-County Lakes & Rivers Conference Presentations
View the presentations from our most recent multi-county lakes & Rivers Conference
Managing your lake shoreline buffers for healthy waters
06/28/2022 12:30 PM - 04:30 PM CT at the North Lakeland Discovery Center Our Northwoods lakes have a protective shield – healthy shoreline buffers! Join Mariquita Sheehan, Conservation Specialist for…
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com
Spring 2022 newsletter available
Check out our latest newsletter. Learn about our upcoming, 2022 Northwoods Six-County Lakes & Rivers Conference (which incorporates our VCLRA annual meeting) on July 15th at Nicolet College, which returns…
Northern lights reflecting in Plum Lake
Capturing Vilas County’s beautiful starry-night skies
My love for the night sky started when I was just a kid, as early as I can remember. I grew up on the south shore of Plum Lake in Sayner, which was the perfect spot to see the night sky. Growing up one of my favorite things to do (and my familys) was to take our boat out on the lake at night, we called it a midnight boat-ride. Once out on the lake you can see so many stars since there isn’t any light pollution near Sayner. That is where it all began.
Youth Conservation Poster Contest
Daryn Smolinksi, Mollie Waltz, and Clark Higley are the winners of the 2022 Vilas County Land & Water Youth Conservation Poster Contest.
The Vilas County Youth Conservation Poster Contest is held annually to promote youth awareness of local land and water conservation issues. Vilas County Land & Water staff partner with teachers, home schoolers, and other educators to offer lessons that meet academics standards. This year Land & Water staff were able to go into classrooms with soil samples and vegetables to teach the theme of “Healthy Soil: Healthy Life”.
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Attitudes toward aquatic invasive species
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison recently produced a report about lakeshore property owners' attitudes toward aquatic invasive species management strategies. The report, which summarizes the results of a survey taken by over 700 individuals identified as owning property on a lake in Wisconsin, includes numerous insights that can help lakeshore property owners and lake association leaders make management decisions consistent with their goals.
Living with Loons
In Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota, loons typically begin to arrive on their nest lakes around mid-to-late April. The first order of business is to establish a territory then attract a mate. This is done during the last weeks of April and early in May – then nesting begins.
Izabella Mitchell of AV-W Wins Vilas County Poster Contest
The Vilas County Youth Conservation Poster Contest is held annually to promote youth awareness of local land and water conservation issues. This year’s theme was “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities,” and the winning poster was created by Izabella Mitchell. Her entry will next compete with nine other county winners in WI.
Debbie Millar (Ballard Lake) receives Blue Heron Award
The Vilas County Lakes and Rivers Association (VCLRA) awarded our Blue Heron Shoreland Stewardship Award to Debbie Millar of Ballard Lake for restoration completed on her lakefront property. This award was presented at our “Celebrate the Lakes Day” on July 10, 2020 via Zoom Conference Call. Congratulations to Debbie Millar!
Center for Lakes and Research / Flickr - http://j.mp/1SPGCl0
Beware of the New Zealand Mud Snails
New Zealand Mud Snails are an invasive species of snails originating from fresh water lakes in New Zealand and have made their way to U.S. freshwater streams and lakes. Although these invasive snails have yet to invade Manitowish Waters, they have made a successful living nearby in the Great Lakes. (more…)