Reading the River. What s happening here? Greetings from the president. In this Issue. Board of Directors

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1 Reading the River A Citizens watershed conservation organization Volume 14, Issue 4~ Winter 2016 In this Issue President s message Upcoming events Year in Review Board members elected Holiday party happenings Update on battle against Asian carp Wildlife photographer shares photos Junior fair photo entry winner Year in Review (continued) Ways to support FBR s mission Membership form The Friends of the Black River PO Box 475 Black River Falls, WI Info_fbr@yahoo.com Newsletter Editor Pat McKnight pmcknight@centurytel.net Board of Directors President Steve Rake (715) Vice-President Mitch Wester (715) Secretary/Treasurer Jackson Burgau (715) Members of the Board Sue Bitter (715) Deane Chase (715) Jeff Polzin (715) Pete Segerson (715) Tom Teeples (715) Recording Secretary Pat McKnight FBR Board member Tom Teeples holds a special trophy presented to him by Steve Firkins at FBR s annual holiday party. Tom was the latest recipient of the annual recognition presented to an FBR member who has supported the FBR mission and activities throughout the years. What s happening here? For more on the holiday gathering, see page 3. Photo by Pat McKnight Greetings from the president WOW!!!! Winter has started with a blast of cold air and several snowstorms. Since I enjoy all of our seasons and I like to ski, I don't mind this time of the year. But the extreme cold, however, is not what any of us enjoy because it limits the time we can spend outdoors. How fortunate we are to be living at this time as opposed to the past; we have a great selection of outdoor clothing available to keep us warm even in the bitter cold especially if we are active. With the winter season here our organization is planning activities for the coming year. Greetings, continued on page 2 Vision The Friends of the Black River is a citizen-led organization that is a wellinformed, respected, active contributor to projects and decision-making enhancing the river and its watershed. Mission The Friends of the Black River will foster community appreciation, understanding, and sustainable use of the river and its watershed by hosting educational and enjoyable programs, events and conservation projects and by promoting wise decision-making when issues affect the health of the Black River Basin.

2 Upcoming meeting, programs and events schedule for 2017 January 11 Monthly meeting, program about wilderness winter survival February 8 Monthly meeting, program about pollinators in nature March 8 Monthly meeting, program still to be determined Unless otherwise noted, regular monthly meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the lower level community room of the Jackson County Bank. FBR Year in Review April 12 Monthly meeting, program about wolves and wildcats Dates and programs subject to change. Anyone with suggestions for future programs is encouraged to submit them by ing info_fbr@yahoo.com The Friends of the Black River had a full slate of programs and activities in Along with the programs presented at monthly meetings, we held paddles, cleanups, nature walks and other events. In January, Armund Bartz, Driftless Area ecologist with the DNR s Natural Heritage Conservation Program, brought greater awareness of the role that little-known plants and animals play in the Driftless region. At the February meeting, Black River Falls native Sadie Gearing Ulman, returned to her hometown to share information about the research she is engaged in on sea waterfowl in Alaska. In March, Derek Barkeim of Seekers Wild presented a program about surviving in the wilderness. As part of the program, Barkeim demonstrated how to use the bow-and-drill method to start a fire. DNR wildlife specialist Scott Roepke presented a program on black bears and the DNR s practices for managing the species at the April meeting. The agency s management objectives are to prevent conflicts between the animals and humans while maintaining a viable bear population in the state. The spring wildflower walk was again held on the Morrison Creek trail. Youngsters joining the walk were provide with field guides to help with plant identification. Volunteers turned out to remove trash from Jackson County public lands during the annual Earth Day Cleanup in April. Continued on page 6 Greetings from the president, continued from page 1 We will have our monthly meetings and plan to have a snowshoe hike in January. Needless to say, there are a variety of activities to do this time of year such as skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and hiking or snowshoeing. I hope you take advantage of these interesting and fun activities. I want to welcome our new member - Deane Chase - to our board. Otherwise our board remains the same as last year. I also 2 want to thank our board members for their work in making our organization function as well as it does. Also, thanks to Pat McKnight for her efforts in helping us. If any member has an interesting topic or knows of a good presenter that our group might enjoy, let us know, so we can pursue it. Have a happy Holiday Season and hopefully, a productive New Year. ~ Steve Rake

3 Annual meeting held in October The Friends of the Black River held its annual meeting October 12. President Steve Rake reported on the activities FBR held during 2016 (for details, see FBR Year in Review, beginning on page 2. Election of members to the board of directors was held with previous board members Steve Rake, Mitch Wester, Tom Teeples and Pete Segerson retaining their seats on the board. Deane Chase stepped forward, offering to serve on the board as a new member. His nomination was approved by FBR members attending the annual meeting. The evening s highlights also included refreshments and a program presented by acclaimed nature photographer Alan Stankevitz (see page 5 for a report on his presentation). At its November meeting, the FBR board voted to keep Steve Rake as president, Mitch Wester as vice president and Jackson Burgau as treasurer. The FBR board for are (back, left to right) Deane Chase, Sue Bitter, Tom Teeples, Pete Segerson, (front, left to right) Jackson Burgau, Steve Rake and Mitch Wester. Jeff Polzin was not available for the photo. Photo by Pat McKnight Annual holiday party held in December FBR held its annual holiday party and movie night December 5. FBR members and guests gathered in the community room of the Jackson County Bank for the celebration. The evening began with social hour and attendees enjoyed pizza, popcorn and beverages. This year, Chasing Ice, an Emmy award winning documentary about the effects of climate change on glaciers in Greenland, Iceland and Alaska was shown. The 2012 film was created by nature photographer James Balog and was directed by Jeff Orlowski for National Geographic. Although skeptical about climate change when he began the project, Balog s opinion changed after witnessing the disappearance of glaciers and massive calving events. Steve Firkins also presented his annual Firkins Award to Tom Teeples. Firkins creates the award from items collected during FBR cleanups and presents them to a member he feels has made a significant contribution to FBR s mission. Tom has been active in recruiting volunteers for cleanups and is the go-to man for audio-visual support for program presenters as well as a photographer at FBR events. Steve Firkins (right) presented his annual award to Tom Teeples to recognize Tom s contribution to FBR and its board. Photo by Pat McKnight 3

4 Researcher talks gives update on fight against Asian carp In the battle to slow or halt the advancement of Asian carp in the nation s waterways, scientists are working to develop a variety of tools. United States Geological Survey researchers are testing the use of chemicals, complex sound and carbon dioxide to limit the spread of the invasive species in the Mississippi watershed. USGS fish biologist Jon Amberg presented a program at FBR s Nov. 9 meeting about the ongoing research. Amberg is based at the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences, where he leads a team of scientists on the development and assessment of new tools in the control of aquatic invasive species. The researchers are focusing on the four species of grass, black, bighead and silver carp introduced from Asia. The bighead and silver carp are the species of greatest concern. The two fish species are known for their voracious appetite, which destroys native fish habitat. The silver carp are also known for jumping into the air when motorized boats disturb the water. Amberg began his presentation with a brief history of Asian carp situation in the United States. The carp were imported to this country in the 1970s as a natural means to clean ponds of fish farmers and municipal power plants. In the 1990s, floods washed the fish out into nearby waterways and have been invading the Mississippi River and its tributaries. In addition to harming the ecology of native fish habitat, the fish damage spawning sites as well as recreational fishing. Some the tools being considered to address the situation include intensive harvesting through commercial fishing, using microparticle toxins, seismic water guns and manipulation of stream flow to make spawning sites less attractive to the carp. Instead of one control tool, we need multiple tools, said Amberg. To do that, we need to know about the fishes life cycle. The carp can grow from a hatchling of about two inches long to three feet long within three years and can reach 100 pounds. At maturity, they can produce a million eggs, releasing batches at various times throughout the year. One tool now in use to control the spread of the carp is electric shock. The only thing keeping the Asian carp out of the Great Lakes is the electric barrier in the Illinois canal, said Amberg. The electric barrier isn t 100 percent. Small fish can find their way through the barrier. Researchers found injecting carbon dioxide into the water where the carp are found will drive the carp from the area. The fish can detect the CO 2, which changes the ph level in the water. The CO 2 barrier affects all fish the same, said Amberg. We know CO 2 will work, but this isn t a biology USGS biologist Jon Amberg explained the various approaches researchers are studying to fight the spread of Asian carp. Photo by Pat McKnight problem, this is an engineering problem. Amberg said the USGS contacted the engineering department at UW-Platteville asking for a machine that can effectively apply the CO 2 procedures. The scientists are also testing the use of various noises to drive the invaders away from native fish habitats. They found the carp are more sensitive to complex sounds and will move away from the noise. The complex sound tests weren t perfect, said Amberg. The noise can cause hearing loss, which makes the process useless. We are also wondering if the fish can become habituated to the noise. Another tool being studied is the use of chemical agents that will affect only the carp and not harm native fish species. We need to develop a chemical that will be effective only on Asian carp, said Amberg. Tests are beginning to go out for studies in the field. Commercial fishing operations have been harvesting the fish to be used as fertilizer, and some of the fish is being shipped to Asian markets for human consumption. Along with methods for controlling the pest species, the team is developing diagnostic tools for monitoring the extent of the invasion. If proved effective, every effective new tool would be implemented as part of the struggle. While anglers have reported catching some carp as far north as the St. Croix River, so far, no evidence the invasive fish has been found in the Black River. We generally don t get detection in the Black River, said Amberg. We use it (Black River) as a negative control. 4

5 Nature photographer shows videos and photographs Nature photographer Alan Stankevitz has determined settling in southeastern Minnesota near the Mississippi River was a good choice for a nature photographer, especially for filming his favorite subjects - waterfowl. I learned this place is for the birds, said Stankevitz. Stankevitz presented a slide and video program of his award-winning nature photography at the October 12 Friends of the Black River meeting. Growing up in Chicago, Stankevitz would often go bird watching, taking along his Golden Book of birds. He now takes his camera and camcorder everywhere he goes. I learned to keep a camera nearby at all times, said Stankevitz. Among the more remarkable photographs Stankevitz was able to capture because he had his camera at the ready were photos of red-wing black birds harassing a hawk. In one of the frames, it looks as though the songbird has hitched a ride on the hawk. In recent years, Stankevitz has often focused his lens on tundra swans. Living near the backwaters of the Mississippi nears Brownsville, Minn., Stankevitz has had many opportunities for capturing some of the 15,000 to 20,000 tundra swans who use the flyway to stop over on their migration to the country s eastern coastal region. Also known as the whistling swan, tundra swans are the most numerous of the North American swan species. The species is slightly smaller than the trumpeter swan, another swan species native to North America. Tundras can also be differentiated from the trumpeters by the smudge of yellow located at the base of their black bills. During the fall, as they head south from the Arctic where they nest, tundra swans will be part of the great waterfowl migration along the Mississippi flyway. They stop over on the Mississippi backwaters near Brownsville to feed on arrowroot tuber they dredge up from the river beds. There are about 100,000 swans in North America, said Stankevitz. The best time to photograph them is the one to three weeks in October. Along with recording the activities of swans, Stankevitz has taped the flight of eagles and showed footage of eagles fighting over prey. Over the years, Stankevitz s bird photography FBR member Charles Meyer (right) discusses waterfowl with nature photographer Alan Stankevitz following Stankevitz s program presented at the October meeting. Photo by Pat McKnight has earned him numerous awards both nationally as well as locally, and his photographs have been published in print and on the Internet. For some of his photography, Stankevitz has used drones to get a bird s-eye view, but he credits the many years of taking photos for developing his eye-hand coordination. The more you do of it, the better you get at it, said Stankevitz, but sometimes it s just dumb luck. More about Stankevitz and his photos can be found on the Internet at Fair photo winner Luke Franks entry in the FBR Jackson County Fair junior division photography class earned him a championship award. 5

6 2016 year-end review (continued) Continued from page 2 FBR became involved in an issue regarding the use of wake boats on the Black River reservoir. Property owners reported the large waves created by the boats were damaging the lake shore and personal property such as boats and docks. Stakeholders, concerned citizens and government representatives were invited to the May meeting to learn about the situation. Mark Pfost, biologist with the USFWS, gave a presentation at the June meeting about working with the agency s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. The program assists landowners wanting to restore their lands to native plants to provide habitat for wildlife. On the July Fourth weekend, FBR held the annual Paddle in the Park on the kids fishing pond at Lunda Community Park as part of the Festival in the Park fundraiser. The funds raised through the festival help with the costs of maintaining the community park. The annual prairie wildflower walk in July was led by Steve Humphreys on land he has been working to restore to native plants. At the September meeting, canoeists Lynne and Bob Diebel presented a program about their trip canoeing down the Mississippi and then paddling up the Wisconsin River to reach their home near Madison. Lynne recorded the story of their journey in her book, Crossing the Driftless, A Canoe Trip Through A Midwestern Landscape. About 25 volunteers turned out August 27 for the annual river cleanup. Those helping with the cleanup walked the shores of the Black River or paddled down the river in search of trash. FBR again had a booth at the sixth annual GreenLifeXpo. Held September 10, the environmental, conservation and simple living exposition was held at the Milt Lunda Memorial Ice Arena. FBR also held its annual business meeting in October and members returned three incumbent members and sent one new member to the board of directors. (See p.3 for more information about the members of the board.) The meeting feature a wildfowl photograph program. (See page 5 for the write-up about the program.) At the November 9 meeting, United States Geological Survey fish biologist Jon Amberg presented a program about his agency s ongoing research to find ways to halt or slow the spread of invasive Asian carp up the Mississippi River and its tributaries. USGS researchers are testing the use of chemicals, complex sound and carbon dioxide as methods for limiting the spread of the invasive species. Each year, FBR continues to recruit and train volunteers to monitor the health of streams in Jackson County through the Water Action Volunteer program. The teams of two test various aspects of the streams once a month from May through October. They then send the data they collect on to a statewide database. FBR sponsored a number of paddles on the Black River and its tributaries led by board member Jeff Polzin. 6

7 Ways to support FBR s mission You can help support the mission of the Friends of the Black River by remembering FBR in your will or with memorials or honorariums. Checks can be made out to Friends of the Black River and contributions should be sent to PO Box 475, Black River Falls, WI Thank you. Memberships always welcome Memberships help Friends of the Black River continue its mission of preserving and caring for the Black River. Show your support for that mission by renewing your membership. If you are renewing your membership, you do not need to send in a membership form unless there has been a change in your contact information. Please help us stay current Please help us keep in touch by letting us know your new and/or postal addresses when they change. Send your address changes to info_fbr@yahoo.com Become a new member by filling out the membership form below and mailing it with your membership dues to the mailing address listed on the form. Support your watershed - Join the Friends of the Black River Enroll me as a member Membership Categories (check one) $1.00 Youth (up to age 18) $15.00 Individual $20.00 Family $30.00 Organization or Business $50.00 Cornerstone Member I would like to give an additional contribution in the amount of $ I would like to give this membership as a gift (Card will be sent to recipient) Occasion Name of recipient I m interested in serving on a committee: Land Preservation and Advocacy Fundraising and Membership Recruitment Programming Cleanups and Special Events Landings I am Interested in becoming a board member Name Address Phone Please check here if you would like to receive a receipt. Return registration and checks payable to: Comments/Questions: Friends of the Black River PO Box 475 Black River Falls, WI

8 Friends of the Black River PO Box 475 Black River Falls, WI The Black River Watershed Memberships are being gratefully accepted for 2017! We depend on your support to keep Friends of the Black River a strong effective protector of the watershed. We want to keep this newsletter coming to your or mail box!