U Of M Hosts Invasive Species Workshop In Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — A workshop took place at the Great Lakes Aquarium on Friday to inform those on what is in our lakes and rivers.

The University of Minnesota hosts the Aquatic Invasive Species or AIS Detectors Core Course. Around 20 people attended the event to be better informed on how to identify those creatures and report them. Species include invasive plants, invertebrates, and fish.

The course has been around since 2017 and is open to anyone. Those who attended either have a lake home, just enjoy being on the water or are professionals.

“Minnesota has a lot of water and we have probably not enough professionals to be able to keep an eye on every single body of water that we have. So, having informed public is really important to help with early detection of potential invasive species so, that if there’s management action that can happen, it happens quickly. That’s your best chance at success,” said Megan Weber, Extension Educator at the U of M for Aquatic Invasive Species.

One educator took this course to share what he learns with students and the public. He says being in person to learn is very helpful.

“It makes a huge difference for me being able to work hands on. You know I’ve looked through dozens of field books and things like that and it never really makes the same impact as it does seeing it in 3-D and seeing it live and hands on makes a huge difference I think for me and for a lot of other learners as well,” said Jake Schwinghammer, Educator for Youth Eco Solutions.

The U of M received a grant to offer this course for free. There are plenty of other courses offered throughout the year if you missed this one.