Check out the following field trips to refresh and learn!
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Join University of Wisconsin-Green Bay scientists and partners for a tour of the Green Bay estuary. We will visit lower bay restoration projects and highlight efforts to re-establish wild rice. Stops include the Ken Euers Nature Area, Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve, and Duck Creek. Many of these sites will be part of the future Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Plan for an easy walk in the morning followed by a picnic lunch and an afternoon paddle. There are a few spots available on a motorized boat. Contact: Emily Tyner, tynere@uwgb.edu.
8 a.m. departure from Milwaukee via van. Attendees traveling from the north/west can meet the group in Green Bay. Back to Milwaukee by 5:30 p.m. Total attendance: 14 people.
* Registration includes $10 nonrefundable cancellation fee.
Photo credit: Ken Euers Nature Area by Ben Young.
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Lake sturgeon had been largely extirpated from the Milwaukee River system long ago, but improvements in water quality and connectivity present an opportunity to rehabilitate this unique fish species. Each year lake sturgeon are stocked into the Milwaukee River as part of the long term rehabilitation project. Since 2006 the sturgeon have been raised in a streamside rearing trailer at Riveredge Nature Center in Newburg, and staff and volunteers from Riveredge provide the day to day care of the fish. On this field trip you will tour the trailer and see young sturgeon up close. You will learn more about the rehabilitation project including stocking, population monitoring efforts, and habitat assessments and improvements. From Riveredge, participants will travel to Kletzsch Park in Glendale to see a recently completed fish passage around the Kletzsch Park dam. This passage allows native fish in the Milwaukee Estuary to move from Lake Michigan to upstream areas encompassing 25 miles of river, 29 miles of tributary streams, and 2,400 acres of wetlands. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources installed a PIT (passive integrated transponder) tag detector array that began monitoring movements of tagged fish through the fish passage in spring 2024. You will learn more about the PIT array technology and what species of fish have been detected using the passage. Contact Cheryl Masterson, Cheryl.Masterson@wisconsin.gov.
Includes van transportation to and from the Baird Center. Cost includes a boxed lunch from Jimmy John’s. Guided tours at Riveredge and Kletzsch Park require a short walk from the parking area. Tours are outdoors, and participants should dress for the weather. Closed-toe footwear and outdoor clothing along with sun and insect protection are recommended. Restroom facilities are available at Riveredge, but not at Kletzsch Park. Enrollment is limited to 14 participants.
* Registration includes $10 nonrefundable cancellation fee.
Join Milwaukee Riverkeeper and Milwaukee Kayak Company for a tour of the lower Milwaukee River through Downtown Milwaukee. Learn about work to clean up the Milwaukee River Estuary Area of Concern, including dredging over 11 miles of river for contaminated sediments, and dozens of restoration projects planned to improve habitat and populations of fish and wildlife. Kayakers will also learn about the Milwaukee RiverWalk, general water quality and wildlife, the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail, and how Milwaukee’s history is tied to its rivers and Lake Michigan. Paddlers will meet up at the Milwaukee Kayak Company at 318 S. Water Street at 1:30 p.m. to fill out waivers, listen to a brief safety talk, and then enjoy a 2-2.5 hour guided paddle. There will be a stop midway for restrooms and refreshments. Contact: Cheryl Nenn, cheryl_nenn@milwaukeeriverkeeper.org.
Walk along the Milwaukee RiverWalk and meet up at the Milwaukee Kayak Company at 318 S. Water Street (5-minute drive from Baird) at 1:30 p.m. to fill out waivers, listen to a brief safety talk, and then enjoy a 2-2.5 hour guided paddle Tour limited to 25 participants. No lunch provided, but there are a lot of options to eat along the RiverWalk.
Join us for a leisurely scenic cruise through the heart of downtown and along Milwaukee’s lakefront. Guests on this private charter will float down the Milwaukee River and into the harbor for a unique view of the city’s Area of Concern, the historical architecture of Milwaukee, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences (SFS). SFS Dean Rebecca Klaper, Rae-Ann Eifert, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Bridget Henk, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, will provide commentary/narration for this 3-hour cruise operated by Riverwalk Boat Tours & Rentals. The tour will include a 45-minute stop for a building tour at the Great Lakes Research Facility, home to the School of Freshwater Sciences and prominent water organization partners.
Food and drinks may be brought onboard, no glass containers. Guests are responsible for taking all trash with them after their cruise; trash may not be left or disposed of in Pere Marquette Park. The boat will be a 49-passenger pontoon, completely covered with clear tarps that can be pulled down on the sides in the event of wind or rain. Bathroom on board. All guests ages thirteen years old and younger are required to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times while onboard the boat. Tipping your captain and deckhand after your charter is encouraged if you feel that they’ve provided you with good service, but not required. Limited to 45 participants. Lunch is not provided. Pere Marquette Park, where you'll board, is 0.3 miles/0.5 kilometers from Baird Center. Once you arrive, head to the park’s northeast corner and you’ll find their docks along the river’s edge.
* Registration includes $10 nonrefundable cancellation fee.
In addition to scheduled field trips and workshops, we encourage you to get out and explore on your own when time permits. Check out some options on our Things to Do page.
Participation in field trips organized as part of this event is voluntary and at the participant’s own risk. The International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR), its organizers, affiliates, and partners assume no responsibility or liability for any injury, loss, or damage to persons or property that may occur during or as a result of participation in these activities. Participants are responsible for ensuring their own safety, appropriate attire, and any necessary insurance coverage. By participating, you acknowledge and accept these conditions.
