Field Day: Invasive species working group holds 2023 event at Fort McCoy

For yet another year, the Monroe County (Wis.) Invasive Species Working Group held their annual 2023 Field Day on June 15 at Pine View Campground at Fort McCoy.

More than four dozen people participated in the event that included numerous briefings about invasive species and how to control them, and updates from landowners currently fighting invasive species on their lands, and more

Event coordinators included personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch (NRB), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), and others. The group is a cooperative effort led by Monroe County Land Conservation, WDNR Forestry, Fort McCoy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other agencies.

NRB Chief Tim Wilder, Biologists Jessup Weichelt and Kevin Luepke also with the NRB, all participated in the event.

Luepke said the field day has proven to be a great event in sharing information on how to lessen the spread of invasive plant species in the county, and more. This event included goats as an option.

“With the field day, demonstrations and information is passed along to the general public that attends in regard to managing invasive plants,” Luepke said. “One of the members of the group runs an invasive brush management company and utilizes goats to do the work. The group was interested in showing off this method at the field day.

“This is actually a method that we have discussed within the NRB but have yet to try and use,” Luepke said. “This opportunity allowed the public to see this method as well as allowing the NRB to see this method up close and personal and help determine if this is a route we could incorporate into the management of invasive shrubs in the training areas at Fort McCoy.”

Invasive species can be terrestrial, aquatic, or wetland invasives, according to the WDNR.

“One of the reasons that invasive species are able to succeed is that they often leave their predators and competitors behind in their native ecosystems,” states the WDNR webpage on invasive species, https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/what.html. “Without these natural checks and balances, they are able to reproduce rapidly and out-compete native species.

“Invasive species can alter ecological relationships among native species and can affect ecosystem function, economic value of ecosystems, and human health,” the website states.

Some common types of invasive species in Wisconsin include common barberry and black locust trees, garden yellow and purple loosestrife, and leafy spurge plants, and more.

Wilder said in past articles that being a part of this working group is good for the post, and more.

“Fort McCoy is an active participant in the Monroe County Invasive Species Working Group for many good reasons,” Wilder said. “The more folks we can get involved in managing and controlling invasive species in the county, the better chance we have for success here on Fort McCoy. Government agencies — whether they are local, state, or federal — cannot do this alone. Getting private landowners involved is critical to success.”

For more information about the group, visit https://www.co.monroe.wi.us/departments/land-conservation/invasive-species-workgroup.

Fort McCoy was established in 1909 and its motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.

The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”

Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.