Aquatic plants are incredibly beneficial to the overall health of our lakes but are often incorrectly overlooked as ‘weeds’. This interactive workshop will provide background on basic aquatic plant ecology and introduce participants to the wide variety of aquatic plant species found throughout the Upper Midwest. The instructors will use a combination of short presentations and hands-on examination of live plants and pressed specimens. The workshop will focus on distinguishing plants with similar growth forms and among species in the larger genera. In addition to identification of native aquatic plants, a variety of non-native plant species at risk of invading waterbodies across the United States will also be covered. There will be a packet of printed materials including plant identification keys for each participant to keep.
Presenters
Michelle Nault is the statewide lakes and reservoir ecologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Water Quality. She has previously worked as a lakes research scientist and aquatic invasive species monitoring and response specialist for the Wisconsin DNR, with a focus on conducting research on aquatic plant ecology and invasive species management throughout the state.
Paul Skawinski works for the University of Wisconsin-Extension Lakes Program as the Statewide Coordinator of the Wisconsin Citizen Lake Monitoring Network. He also teaches Aquatic Plant Taxonomy at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and is the author of Aquatic Plants of the Upper Midwest.