Join the St. Louis River Alliance on Wednesday, September 21st from 5:00-6:30 p.m. for a volunteer cleanup event at Woodstock Bay Public Landing in Superior, Wisconsin! Stay as long or as little as you'd like.
We will be removing Purple Loosestrife flowers by hand as well as collecting garbage. Purple Loosestrife is a wetland plant with showy purple flowers and is considered an invasive species. We will be working in and near the water, so please wear long clothing and high-boots/waders if you have them! Bring your own drinking water. We will provide clippers, gloves and garbage bags.
Location: Meet at the Woodstock Bay Public Landing Parking Lot at 15 White Birch Trail, Superior, WI 54880. Please check in with SLRA staff/volunteer for clean-up gear. Please dress appropriately for the weather and the job!
If you are interested in volunteering you can email Alyssa at Outreach@StLouisRiver.org (or just show up). Groups and other organizations are highly encouraged to get involved!
ABOUT PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE:
Purple loosestrife is native to Europe and Asia. The species was unintentionally introduced to the United States’ Great Lakes through contaminated solid cargo ship ballast as well as through the deliberate importation of seeds. The first discovery in the United States was in Lake Ontario in 1869. Purple loosestrife was sold and planted for decades as a decorative ornamental plant. However, due to its negative impacts on native plants and its ability to escape from cultivation, purple loosestrife is illegal to sell in most states.
Invasive species cause recreational, economic and ecological damage.
Purple loosestrife impacts:
Dense growth along shoreland areas makes it difficult to access open water.
Overtakes habitat and outcompetes native aquatic plants, potentially lowering diversity.
Provides unsuitable shelter, food, and nesting habitat for native animals.
Dense root systems change the hydrology of wetlands.
PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE AT WOODSTOCK BAY LANDING:
The Wisconsin DNR has released beetles at the Woodstock Bay launch for the past two years, and are starting to see the telltale holes in the leaves showing damage from the beetles, which is a good sign.
At this point, the beetles are likely still munching on the plants before they head to the roots to overwinter. The bloom is still going strong, but in the next couple weeks, the plants should end blooming and turn to seed production. By cutting the flower heads off we will omit seed production.
We will not be cutting the plants to the ground as the Wisconsin DNR is attempting to create an insectary of beetles at the landing. Currently, there is only one insectary (that WDNR is aware of) in all of Northern Wisconsin- thus far, Woodstock Bay looks promising to become a second insectary site!
If that happens, the DNR can pull thousands of beetles from there to share with volunteers around the area to breed and release into loosestrife stands in WI and MN.