Bob Bultman

Dear DCIST Members and Friends,

As our primary funding grant for current DCIST programming wraps up and my contract to lead the Team ends, I wanted to sign off with a few words of encouragement and thanks. 2009 has been another dynamic year for the Door County Invasive Species Team. From shore to shore, tip to toe, lots of invasive species control work was accomplished this year in Door County.

There are far too many ongoing projects to list here, but I’d like to highlight one of three Boy Scout projects that were a big help in invasives control in the County this year: as part of his Eagle Scout Project, Boy Scout Ben Mitchell from Green Bay helped lead dozens of scouts and residents and members of the Clark Lake Advancement Association in phragmites control on the lake. Great work Ben and crew!

As you are well aware, there is plenty more effort that is needed to stem the rising tide of invasive plants and animals that threaten to disrupt the integrity of our County’s phenomenal native land and waterscapes. The invasive plants and animals already here do not take time off and with such ominous problems as wild parsnip, emerald ash borer, beech bark disease and asian carp on our doorstep, our native ecosystems are as challenged as ever. There is plenty to learn about, map, monitor for and control in the coming years.

Thank you for all your support and efforts. Logged volunteer hours spent countering invasives in Door County have once again provided crucial match for state invasive species funding. Over 1500 hours of time was logged this year controlling aquatic, wetland and shoreline invasives, and that translates to over $18,000 in match for the state funding in 2009 alone! This high level of community support has allowed the County Conservation Department to pursue and receive another grant for 2 years of coordinator funding, good through December 2011.

In the meantime, the Conservation Department and DCIST Steering Partners are in the process of evaluating the DCIST Program and will be issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Outreach staffing in the coming weeks. Until then, the Program will be on hiatus and no public DCIST meetings are scheduled at this time. I hope to return as the Outreach Educator, Weed Captain and spokesperson for DCIST.

Thank you for your patience and stay tuned! You, the engaged citizenry, are the heart – and muscle! – of DCIST. Your ongoing support is crucial for sustaining this effort. And, it does not go unnoticed. It has been and will continue to be an honor and a pleasure to work among the finest people of northeast Wisconsin.

All the Best in 2010. See you in the underbrush! Warm regards, Bob Bultman DCIST Outreach Coordinator p.s. If you need to reach me, call 920.421.2283 or email me at restoredoor@gmail.com.

RestoreDoor Ecologic Consulting & Restoration
PO Box 151
Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin 54202

Time to put on the flannels, get outside and go after invasive shrubs like buckthorn, exotic bush honeysuckle, japanese barberry and autumn olive. There will be one more DCIST work party this month taking place at the new Kreuter Preserve in southern Door (see calendar below). This is an excellent opportunity to learn how to properly identify and control woody invasives – not to mention the good work you will be doing to help restore some breathtaking Lake Michigan shoreline!

Scotch Pine

And don’t forget to cut yourself an invasive scotch pine for a holiday tree, wreaths and boughs. Scotch pine are weedy and aggressive, crowding out native pines while sometimes helping to harbor and spread pine disease. Unlike our native white and red pines, the habitat value of scotch pine is limited and its wood has little commercial value. The good news is scotch pine is just about the easiest non-native plant to remove – just cut it off low enough (leave no green growth) and no herbicide is necessary.

Wisconsin’s DNR provides four new online videos that can help landowners and others identify and control three of Wisconsin’s most common and problematic invasive plants. The videos, all of which are under 3 minutes in length, can be found on the Take Action on Invasive Species Webpage.

In addition to a general video, 3 other videos focus on buckthorn, garlic mustard, and honeysuckle – invasives that are particularly problematic in Wisconsin. These invasive plants compete for water and nutrients with trees and native plants, often crowding out desirable growth and negatively affecting wildlife. The videos help viewers identify the invasives and demonstrate the safe use of herbicides to rid an area of the invasive plants.

A big thanks… goes out to all of you who, through your hard work controlling invasives and diligent record keeping, have helped DCIST to successfully match our 2008-2009 state grant funding. This grant cycle is coming to end and we will be able to close yet another successful chapter. Thank you for ALL your actions and support! You Are DCIST! Your consistent efforts have helped the Door County Conservation Department receive another 2-year Aquatic Invasive Species Grant, so look forward to a continuation of activities through December 2011.

Please come to Crossroads on Monday December 14 and share some well earned Holiday cheer and camaraderie at the DCIST Holiday Social. Bring a snack or beverage to share and enjoy a Native Landscaping Presentation by expert Native Landscaper Cliff Orsted.

DCIST Events Calendar:

Monday, December 14, at 3 pm (not the usual 2 pm start!)
Natives To The Rescue! Establishing Native Plants Following Removal of Invasive Species by native landscape expert Clifford Orsted
at Crossroads At Big Creek, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay

Join us for Holiday cheer and well-earned camaraderie after a busy year tackling invasives. If you feel so inclined, bring a snack, beverage or holiday treat to share. Enjoy a presentation by Cliff Orsted who will discuss enhancing biodiversity on your property and will share practical, effective strategies and considerations to guide you in successfully re-vegetating sunny, shady and wetland areas of your landscape with natives following removal of invasive species. His slide show includes fantastic Door County natives that are unknown to many of us or often overlooked. Cliff will also share his gardening history from growing up as a farm boy through the establishment of his landscape and nursery business.

Cliff Orsted operates Door Landscape & Nursery, specializing in sustainable landscaping with native plants, many of local genotype. He is also Education Chair and Membership Coordinator for the Door County Chapter of Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes, a national nonprofit environmental education and advocacy organization (www.for-wild.org).

Thursday, December 17 (bad weather date: Friday, December 18) 1pm – 4pm
Stewardship opportunity ~ Southern Door Glossy Buckthorn Workparty:
DC Land Trust Kreuter Preserve, Lake Michigan shoreline

South Lake Michigan Drive: From Sturgeon Bay, take County U south of 42/57 to intersection of Mt. Lookout Rd (east) and County OO (west), turn left (east) on Mt. Lookout, drive to S. Lake Michigan Dr, turn left, and meet at the parking area in the open field.

Learn how to ID and treat woody invasives. Join the Door Stewardship Alliance and DCIST to tackle glossy buckthorn and some shoreline exotic bush honeysuckle on the new Kreuter Preserve located on S. Lake Michigan Drive. This is a golden opportunity to get to visit and help start the restoration process at one of the Door County Land Trust’s premiere properties. DCIST will provide the necessary tools, including the Shrub Grubber, a new shrub removal shovel. This new device is still in the testing phase. We are seeking user feedback. . . come and give it a whirl.

Dress for the weather, wear gloves, hats and sturdy shoes/boots. Questions? Contact Bob Bultman 920.421.2283.

Volunteerism, donations and grant dollars sustain the DCIST effort. DCIST generally meets on the 2nd Monday of the month at 2pm. To make a donation, set up a training session for your association or group, inquire about our Equipment Loan Program, or to be added to the mailing list, please contact the coordinator: dcist1@gmail.com or phone 920.746.5955. Please visit the Door County Invasive Species Team Website for an ongoing schedule of events.