We uncover the story of how a popular watercraft inspection program (Clean Boats, Clean Waters) evolved from a middle school science project in Northern Wisconsin. 

Transcript available here.

Resources:

Get involved in Clean Boats, Clean Waters

Get involved in the Great Lakes Landing Blitz

Boats per capita in the US

Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation grants

Eurasian watermilfoil

Eurasian watermilfoil spread - interactive map

Timeline of AIS introductions and policy in Great Lakes region

Invasive species rule NR 40

Special thanks to our guests:

Maree Stewart, student award winner

Lisa Ahlers, former teacher, Minocqua, Wisconsin

Laura Marquart, formerly University of Wisconsin-Extension Lakes

Erin McFarlane, Extension Lakes

Bijit Khadka, University of Wisconsin-Madison

And thanks to our other contributors:

Sandy Wickman, formerly Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Bob Korth, formerly Extension Lakes

Judi Fellows, CBCW inspector

Linda Bogdala, CBCW inspector

Keith Montgomery, CBCW coordinator

Mary Doden, CBCW coordinator

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade; when life gives you carp, you make carp pants! Meet Kim Boustead, who turns invasive species into art. From buckthorn ink to fish leather, Kim shares her journey of transforming unwanted materials into useful creations.

Transcript available here.

Special thanks to our guest:

Kim Boustead, artist, graphic designer and master naturalist

Learn more:

Kim’s website

Kim’s Instagram

What happens when we look at invasive species through the lens of art? In this episode, Jenna takes us to an immersive art exhibit that reimagines Lake Michigan’s invasive species challenges in a surreal, sci-fi-inspired world. 

Transcript available here.

Special thanks to our guests:

Anne Moser, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Daniel Murray, Fuzz Pop Workshop

Amanda Schmitz, AIS Coordinator, Washington County

Patrick Siwula, Southeast Region Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Learn more:

Deep Lake Future

When starry stonewort was first discovered in a Wisconsin lake, alarm set in—officials scrambled, residents feared the worst, and drastic measures were taken. But ten years later, an unexpected truth has emerged: sometimes, the best response to an invasive species is to do less, not more. In this episode, we unravel the science behind how humans react to new invaders, challenge fear-based messaging, and explore the power of waiting and watching.

Looking for ways to tone down your language around aquatic invasive species? Here are some helpful phrases created by our guest Jeanne Scherer:

Non-native species are known to have varying degrees of impacts depending on the specific waterbody they are found in, and in some cases are able to integrate into a waterbody to the extent where actual documented impacts are minimal and active management may not be necessary. 

Reporting invasive species is a first step in containing their spread. Maintaining and restoring our waters and landscapes can reduce the impacts even when we don’t have other management options to an invasive species.

Transcript available here.

Special thanks to our guests:

Paul Skawinski, UW-Stevens Point Extension Lakes

Tom Reck, former Little Muskego Lake District chairperson

Bret Shaw, University of Wisconsin-Extension, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Jeanne Scherer, University of Wisconsin-Extension and University of Wisconsin-Madison

Learn more:

• Starry stonewort
• Testing Emphasis Message Frames and Metaphors on Social Media to Engage Boaters to Learn about Preventing the Spread of Zebra Mussels
• Is the cure worse than the disease? Comparing the ecological effects of an invasive aquatic plant and the herbicide treatments used to control it
• Commonly Rare and Rarely Common: Comparing Population Abundance of Invasive and Native Aquatic Species
• Predicting preferences for chemical treatment of aquatic invasive species and implications for outreach

Today, we’re airing a bonus episode from Points North, a podcast about the land, water, and inhabitants of the Great Lakes from Interlochen Public Radio.

Invasive species often spread by hitching a ride on anglers, especially anglers who don’t clean their gear after fishing. Though this is widely known, research suggests many anglers still don’t clean, even though it protects the very thing they’re after – fish. So, can anything be done to change their minds? Hear about New Zealand Mudsnail in Michigan.

Transcript available here.

Credits

Producer / Host: Dan Wanschura

Editor: Morgan Springer

Music: Fifteen Street, Our Only Lark, Silent Ocean, and Sweeper by Blue Dot Sessions

How can art help communicate invasive species science? Today, we’ll meet an artist on a journey to turn some thrifted fabric into a biocontrol bug that is larger than life!

Transcript

Special thanks to our guests:

Astrid Hooper Loften, Artist, UW-Madison’24

Jeanne Scherer, University of Wisconsin-Extension and University of Wisconsin-Madison

Learn more:

The FLOW Project 

Astrid’s Cella Beetle Project

Tim’s tent

Information about purple loosestrife biocontrol

Introduced is back for Season 3! In this episode, we explore the names we use for invasive species. How do species get their names? And what real-life consequences can these names bring?

Transcript available here.

Special thanks to our guests:

Tyler Muller, North Carolina State University

El Lower, Michigan Sea Grant

Sam Chan, Oregon Sea Grant

Megan Weber, Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center and University of Minnesota Extension

Learn more:

Tyler Muller’s research on pirate perch

What's in a Name? Do Species' Names Impact Student Support for Conservation? (2012)

Alien Language: Reflections on the Rhetoric of Invasion Biology (El Lower and Tim Campbell)

Asian hate crimes spiking during pandemic

Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System (GLANSIS)

Invasive Species Language Workshop Designed to Get People Talking

Communicating About Aquatic Invasive Species

Megan’s article Invasive Species Common Names: Working Towards More Inclusive Invasive Species Education and Outreach

Chinese mitten crabs

Asian murder hornet

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Introduced will be returning for a new season in 2024!

But in the meantime, we're sharing a fascinating, fishy episode from our friends at Points North, an award-winning podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes.

In October 1960, Prince Akihito of Japan visited Chicago for 21 hours. Chicago’s mayor presented the prince with a diplomatic gift: 18 bluegill. What happened next would change the underwater world of Japan forever.

Today, we’re introducing a new podcast from Wisconsin Sea Grant called The Water We Swim In, which features stories about the Great Lakes and the people working toward equity.

On “Hidden Currents,” Bonnie Willison and Hali Jama dive beneath the water to explore why Black children are drowning more than any other race, why marginalized communities often lack access to swimming pools, and how to stay safe in the water. We hear about the alarming trend facing swimming pools in cities across the nation, relive a fight to save one Milwaukee pool, and walk the shores of Lake Michigan with the Beach Ambassador program. Join us as Brenda Coley, Jumana Tanner, Cheryl Bledsoe, Sally Callan, and Deidre Peroff discuss how racism, segregation and redlining has taken away Black people’s access to water and, essentially, the right to swim.

Find The Water We Swim In here