Project: Partnerships and Wild Rice Seeding
By Peter Ziegler, WWA Project Director
WWA has partnered with numerous organizations over the years to successfully complete many habitat restoration projects across Wisconsin. In a prime example of our cooperative works, I just provided assistance with some technical work for a small restoration project in Port Washington. The City of Port Washington is just another partner we can add to our long list of those organizations we have helped put habitat on the ground. This might not be the most duck producing site I’ve worked on recently but it’s part of an open space being restored for the community to utilize for recreation and environmental education. The drain tile removal I have been helping with will not only help restore wetland habitat but it will eliminate a point source discharge of water into the small creek which runs through the site. This will aid in water quality to that creek and to a smaller degree the “Big Pond” (Lake Michigan) as this is located a short distance up stream. WWA tries to help out with projects whenever we can; any one in which we can also get children involved is always a great way to get, and keep, kids interested in our valuable wetlands.
Along those same lines I’m currently figuring out some wild rice restoration opportunities in northern Wisconsin which will, as always, involve a couple local school groups. I’m a bit behind on this planning but by mid-to-late October I hope to have two sites seeded as part of this long-running wild rice restoration effort WWA has been doing.
Students from northern Wisconsin participate in WWA’s 2016 wild rice seeding
Thanks to one of our members, I have another site potential that we would not have looked at if it was not for their interest and contacting me. If you have site potentials in northern Wisconsin let me know and we can take a look to see what opportunities they might provide as many of these site are where you, our members, like to hunt.