Weeds at Their Worst: Combating Invasive Species

State agency spending topped $5.1 million in fiscal year 2019 to manage Wisconsin’s invasive species, according to a report to the Wisconsin Legislature. State funding was supplemented by additional investments made by nonprofits, local units of government, and by volunteers who donated their time.

What The Nature Conservancy Is Doing about Invasive Species

The Nature Conservancy works to prevent and control the spread of invasive species in Wisconsin, throughout the United States, and in many countries around the world. Together with our partners we focus on:

• Preventing future introductions & invasions of non-native invasive species
• Quickly detecting and responding to new populations of invasive species when they occur
• Protecting native habitats by minimizing the damage caused by invasive species that are challenging or impossible to eradicate

Boot Brushes Help Stop the Spread of Invasive Species

We’ve installed boot brushes so visitors can leave invasive species behind when they enter the preserve. We added sign translations in Spanish and Hmong to reach more preserve visitors.

Our invasive species work extends across a variety of disciplines in Wisconsin. 

Wisconsin Land Management

The Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers actively control invasive species at our Wisconsin preserves through the careful application of controlled fire and herbicides, grazing, mowing and hand pulling.

Policy

TNC staff serve on the Wisconsin Invasive Species Council and provide scientific information about invasive species issues to State Agencies, legislators and other decision-makers.

Invasive Species Science

At our Lulu Lake Preserve in southeast Wisconsin, we have worked with scientists to test new techniques to help native aquatic plants compete with Eurasian water milfoil and control invasive cattails.

Partnerships in Wisconsin

TNC joins state and federal agencies and a variety of private and non-profit groups to combat invasive species in Wisconsin.

• In 2001, TNC joined a group of citizens concerned about invasive plants to help create the Invasive Plants Association of Wisconsin (IPAW). IPAW's mission is to promote better stewardship of Wisconsin’s natural resources by advancing the understanding of invasive plants and encouraging the control of their spread. We continue to be involved with IPAW, which provides resources for planning, preventing, controlling, monitoring and educating people about invasive plants.
• TNC is also a member of the Midwest Invasive Plant Network, which was formed in 2002 to reduce the impact of invasive plant species across the Midwest. The network does this through information sharing and by creating tools for invasive plant prevention, early detection, education, control and management. One of those tools is an Invasive Plant Control Database, which contains information on how to control many invasive plants common to the Midwestern United States.
• TNC is working with multiple partners to tackle Asian carp, zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Everyone can be part of the fight against invasive species. Consider removing invasive species in your yard or adding native plants or non-invasive horticultural plants. You can report invasive species on the EddMaps app. When a problem species is reported, particularly an early detection species for the area, UW Extension and the WDNR can flag it and , when appropriate, help find a way to control and/or treat it.