By Emily Tyner, Director of Freshwater Strategy, UW-Green Bay
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s July, 2022 Newsletter edition. All photos courtesy University of Wisconsin – Green Bay.
The Reserve system
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is excited to be leading the designation of a new National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) on the bay of Green Bay. The NERR system is a national network of 30 sites across the coastal US, including the Great Lakes, designed to protect and study estuaries and their coastal wetlands. The mission of the NERR System is, “to practice and promote stewardship of coasts and estuaries through innovative research, education, and training using a place-based system of protected areas.” Reserves represent a partnership program between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) and the coastal states. NOAA provides funding and national guidance, and each site is managed daily by a lead state agency or university with input from local partners. At the local level, a Bay of Green Bay NERR will offer a coordinating force to manage, restore, and celebrate the Green Bay ecosystem, with a programmatic focus on four sectors: research, education, stewardship, and training. Green Bay is the world’s largest freshwater estuary and the concept of locating a NERR on the bay has been in discussion for some years.
Upon designation, the Bay of Green Bay NERR would be the third National Estuarine Research Reserve within the Great Lakes, and the sole representative for the Lake Michigan-Huron biogeographic region. Existing NERRs within the Great Lakes include the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, established in 2010 and located in Superior, Wisconsin, and Old Woman Creek NERR, established in 1980 along the shores of Lake Erie. Joining a network of reserves across the U.S. means that local research will help contribute to shared data sets and collaborations across the NERR system. Significantly, Green Bay is the world’s largest freshwater estuary, and it contains all the major processes of a large water body yet is small enough to conduct meaningful research. This unique combination of traits makes the Bay of Green Bay NERR well-positioned to attract national and international scientists interested in working on similar systems.
What will a NERR designation mean for Wisconsin waterfowlers?
The National Estuarine Research Reserve designation is non-regulatory, which means there will be no change in hunting, fishing, kayaking, commercial boat traffic, etc. in the lands and waters that are designated as part of the reserve.
A Bay of Green Bay NERR will provide a central hub for research and information-sharing to benefit waterfowl and other species. For example, the NERR can partner with agencies and non-profits like the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association on restoration and conservation projects across the Green Bay estuary to improve habitats for colonial and nesting birds, native fish, and aquatic vegetation.
Over the last 20 years, there has been a tremendous investment in restoring and conserving the Green Bay Estuary and Watershed. Projects have included the $1.5 billion cleanup of the Fox River, the delisting of the Menominee River Area of Concern, and significant progress towards delisting the Green Bay Area of Concern. There remains a need for post-clean-up planning and coordination to better engage our communities with these restored resources, and the Bay of Green Bay NERR is well-positioned to lead this effort guided by community input from groups like the WWA.
What is the vision for a Bay of Green Bay NERR?
Program updates and info
We have adopted a specific vision for a reserve that is holistic in the programs offered. This means a focus on not only the science of the Great Lakes but also a celebration of the many ways that water touches our lives and communities, including the historical connections, the art and storytelling connections, the recreational uses, and the economic importance of water both in the past and for our future.
Our goal is to make this the most technologically advanced reserve in the national NERR system, with technology applications in both scientific research and educational opportunities. We have already started on this vision through collaborative programming. Current projects include the creation of a Green Bay Estuary surround-sound exhibit capturing both sounds and stories from above and below water, this is a collaboration with the UW-Green Bay’s audio production program and funded by Wisconsin Sea Grant. Another project is the creation of a Green Bay Estuary Digital Archives Collection for gathering and digitizing historical maps, photos, videos, and data sets related to the Green Bay watershed. This project is funded by the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and a collaboration between the university and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
What’s next in the designation?
The university is currently in step two of a six-step process of designation. We hope to have a site(s) for the natural areas of the NERR selected by the end of 2022, a location for the visitor and education center identified in 2023, and to complete the designation by the end of 2024. The designation process is being led by three committees formed to represent a range of regional interests and to contribute a breadth of professional expertise.
What projects will stem from this program?
The four core pillars of each NERR are Research, Education, Stewardship, and Training (REST). Every reserve has dedicated programing and a staff member for each pillar. Examples of NERR programs include Teachers on the Estuary, an opportunity to train teachers in coastal and estuarine science. Another program that was started by the Lake Superior NERR which we would like to build out in Green Bay is Rivers2Lake, which connects local teachers and classrooms to the NERR for a year of lessons and experiential, hands-on learning.
What are the expected outcomes for improving the great lakes and other freshwater estuaries?
We know there will be a focus on K-12 experiential learning, stewardship opportunities for adult learners, and a community science component. We want to dream big and are in conversation with artists, museum directors, economic development officials, and others to explore all the possibilities for the NERR. We imagine the Bay of Green Bay NERR as a regional hub for outdoor recreation and water education. Visitors could stop in and learn about the best places to bird watch or hike, be connected to an on-site kayak outfitter, or meet with a fishing guide. The potential partnerships around tourism and outdoor recreation—and the visibility it will bring to northeast Wisconsin—is an exciting prospect for the Bay of Green Bay NERR.
If you would like to learn more about the Bay of Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, please visit our website: uwgb.edu/nerr. A sign-up link for our quarterly newsletter can be found here, and if you would like to learn more about the NERR we can provide an in-person or virtual presentation. Contact Emily Tyner for more details (tynere@uwgb.edu).