Conservation in the Parks Annual Report 2023

THE PARKS ANNUAL REPORT

HELLO!

The Waukesha County Park System had another successful year of Conservation in the Parks through volunteerism by businesses, organizations, families, and individuals.

The conservation in the parks program aims to match projects, citizen science programs, and special events to each volunteer to prioritize mutually beneficial experiences and satisfaction.

A special thanks to all our dedicated volunteers that give their time, talents, and resources to support the mission of conservation in the parks.

8,675.37 TOTAL HOURS

No matter what work they do, volunteers are contributing in invaluable ways to the Waukesha County Park System and the community.

A total of 8,675.37 volunteer hours were contributed to Waukesha County Parks with volunteer service being valued at a whopping $275,876.76 in 2023!

Waukesha County Parks and Land Use also hit the goal to have an overall engagement rating of 4 out of 5 stars from the annual Volunteer Engagement Survey.

Measuring satisfaction allows for staff to make improvements to programs so that the maximum benefit may be realized to both the volunteer and the park system.

WWW.WAUKESHACOUNTY.GOV/PARKVOLUNTEERS

VOLUNTER S U RVE Y RESULTS 2023

Overall Volunteer Experience Rating of 4.58/5 STARS

94.6% would RECOMMEND our volunteer program to a friend or colleague!

Supported by

CONSERVATION IN THE PARKS

CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAMS

The Friends of Retzer Nature Center have been supporting Waukesha County Park System‘s Conservation in the Parks Citizen Science Programs with both financial and volunteer support since 2019. Thank you Friends!

THE DATA

MISSION:

Making sure that common species remain common and that rare, threatened, and endangered species are protected!

The data collected through the Conservation in the Parks programs provides Waukesha County with valuable information to help shape park and habitat management plans.

Many species are indicators and are closely associated with plant community type, quality, and structure. Having this data recorded also allows us to apply for special grants and other funding opportunities.

The data is also submitted to other organizations throughout the region, the state, and nationally.

SPECIES RECORDED 100+

CONSERVATION IN THE PARKS

CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAMS

INVERTEBRATE MONITORING

ODONATE MONITORING (DRAGONFLIES & DAMSELFLIES) RAINBOW BLUET

• 93 Dragonfly and Damselfly Species Recorded

Join us at Muskego Park in 2024 for our Dragonfly and Damselfly Counts! Learn from our staff and experts from the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society about the different species found in our parks!

BUMBLE BEE MONITORING

• 11 of 20 species of bumble bee discovered in Waukesha County

Red-Belted Bumble Bee

A very common bee in urban parks and gardens, most often found in Canada and western, midwestern, and northeastern US.

SEEKING

More Volunteers!

We are still in need of more bumble bee monitoring volunteers in the parks! You can be a partner to our community’s bumble bees! You will take a bit of online training and be assigned a specific natural area within a Waukesha County Park or greenway. You will need to visit your adopted spot six times throughout the season (April/May – October) to take photographs of bumble bees and submit your photos to the Wisconsin DNR’s Bumble Bee Brigade website for verification.

CONSERVATION IN THE PARKS

CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAMS

INVERTEBRATE MONITORING

FRESHWATER MUSSEL MONITORING DID YOU KNOW?

• 14 Volunteers

• 28 Hours Donated

Freshwater Mussel Monitoring Training

Join Waukesha County Parks and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s Mussel Biologists at Mukwonago County Park in the Mukwonago River watershed to learn more about our native mussels and how you can help survey for mussels that occur Waukesha County’s waterways!

SEEKING More Volunteers

Discovering Mussels

In 2022 Waukesha County Park System staff and volunteers began participating in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Mussel Monitoring Program (WMMP) surveying for freshwater mussels in the parks and greenways!

Join us in 2024!

Help Waukesha County continue the program! Get into local rivers and streams and document the mussel populations to help their populations.

Did you know that over half of Wisconsin’s 52 native mussel species (also known as clams) are listed as species of greatest conservation need? Several are even endangered species! Threats like habitat alteration (dams, siltation) and the presence of invasive mussels (zebra mussels) pose major threats to the existence of our native mussels.

• 7 Volunteers

• 171 Hours Donated

• 6 Park Sites

• 5 Bird Species Recorded

SEEKING

More Volunteers

Join us in 2024!

Looking for volunteers to help monitor nest boxes at Menomonee Park and along our Fox River and Oconomowoc River Greenways!

PROJECT HIGHLIGHT

Purple Martin houses were added at Nashotah Park in 2023 as part of an Eagle Scout Project! The Purple Martins are completely dependent on human-built nesting structures so this was a necessary addition to the area. Looking for more nest box monitors for this new addition at Nashotah Park.

CONSERVATION IN THE PARKS

CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAMS

SHARING KNOWLEDGE

Waukesha County’s iNaturalist project page, ‘Wild in Waukesha’, continues to grow! The community contributed over 27,000 observations in 2023. This is a 45.8% growth! iNaturalist is one of the most popular nature apps that can connect you with a community of more than 400,000 scientists and naturalists who can help teach more about nature. Contributing your own observations helps contribute to biodiversity. Findings are shared with scientific data repositories to help scientists find and use your data!

Check out the project and submit your observations online!

WWW.INATURALIST.ORG/PROJECTS/WILD-IN-WAUKESHA

The number of users, species, and observations on Waukesha County’s iNaturalist project page increased again in 2023. Thanks for submitting!

LYLE DRIER VOLU N T E E R H I G H LIGHT

Lyle Drier

Volunteered for Over 20 Years

Lyle Drier was a committed and loyal volunteer at Retzer Nature Center for almost 30 years. She completed her Volunteer Teaching Naturalist (now called Retzer Teaching Naturalists) training in 1997 and stayed active assisting educational programming until 2022. She was also an active member of the Friends of Retzer Nature Center since 1995, serving as a board member for 23 years, and specifically their treasurer for 15 years. If there was a project at RNC supported by the Friends, Lyle was an integral part of it…from running the silent auction at many Apple Harvest Festivals to fundraising for big projects like the building expansion, pond restoration, Prairie Underground exhibit, interpretative sign project, Discovery trail, planetarium upgrades, and so much more.

Lyle’s passion for Retzer only grew as she also became a helper for the planning, planting, and maintenance for the Retzer Children’s Garden…helping to create a wonderful place for students and families to learn up close about plants and pollinators.

And wait…there is more! The beautiful rug wall hanging adorning the walls of the Exhibit Hall in the Environmental Learning Center at Retzer Nature Center is the work of Lyle. Titled Wisconsin Wild Life, this is a wonderful display of the state of WI and its key wildlife features. This will forever be a treasured piece of craftmanship single-handedly completed by Lyle.

Lyle’s commitment to serve as a volunteer for a place that she was passionate for was evident to everyone who knew her. Her smile, her willingness to “roll up her sleeves” and get right into the work needed, and her encouraging words for others will be missed for many years to come.

Thank you, Lyle, for all you did to make Retzer Nature Center a special place for all of us!

WISCONSIN M ASTER NATURALIST 2023 TRAINING

Learn and Serve in Nature

Supported through the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension, the Master Naturalist program promotes awareness, understanding, and stewardship of the natural environment by developing a network of well-informed volunteers dedicated to conservation service within their communities.

To become a Master Naturalist, individuals complete 40 hours of expert-led training at locations across the state. Equipped with new knowledge, experiences, and connections, Master Naturalists then go on to serve stewardship, citizen science, and education efforts in Wisconsin and continue their learning through advanced trainings.

In 2023, Waukesha County Parks and Friends of Retzer Nature Center hosted a week-long training at Retzer Nature Center and throughout the County. Graduates from the program are now volunteering in the parks as Teaching Naturalists, citizen scientists, and land stewards.

Join us in 2024! Learn more about Master Naturalist Training here: wimasternaturalist.org

Training at Retzer Nature Center

CONSERVATION IN THE PARKS

NATURAL LAND MANAGEMENT

1000 ACRES Over

THE LAND Waukesha County Park System staff and volunteers completed 1000+ acres of natural land management across the park system in 2023!

INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL

• 37 Species Controlled

• 2,307 Staff Hours Spent Controlling

• 1,399 Volunteer Hours Spent Controlling

What are Invasive Species?

Invasive species are not native to a specific location (an introduced species), and that has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy and/or human health.

Waukesha County actively manages over 40 non-native, invasive species throughout the Park System annually. Without such management (e.g., prescribed burning, mechanical brush removal, selective herbicide application, etc.) these invasive species will outcompete the native trees and wildflowers that local wildlife depends on and visitors enjoy.

CONSERVATION IN THE PARKS

STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS

NATURAL LAND MANAGEMENT

PRESCRIBED BURNING

• 6 Sites Completed

• Performed by Trained Staff “Burn Crews”

What is a Prescribed Burn?

Controlled burn management is an efficient and economical tool that reduces the amount of pesticides or mechanical equipment that otherwise may be needed to control invasive plants. Reasons to burn a particular parcel of land vary, they range from brush control, increasing the vigor of native plants, to removing invasive species, and improving habitat for grassland dependent species. Fire burns off dead vegetation and stimulates new plant growth by allowing sunlight to warm the dark soil, encouraging germination. Fire also enriches the soil by returning nutrients back to the soil.

40 ACRES Over Burned

CONSERVATION IN THE PARKS STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS

FOX BROOK PARK SHORELINE RESTORATION

This project helped to stabilize and restore the shoreline in eroded areas. Stabilization was in the form of sand/ compost filled bags laid and stacked as a structural framework, as well as native plant species.

BROWN’S FEN RESTORATION

Completed 8 acres of brush clearing!

Need your support through the Parkland Conservation Fund to continue this work!

VOLU N T E E R H I G H LIGHT

GENERAC POWER SYSTEMS POWERS SCIENCE FEST!

Waukesha County Parks was thrilled to have Generac Power Systems help support the Friends of Retzer Nature Center’s Science Fest event in 2023. The event is an annual celebration that connects people with science, technology, engineering, and math in fun and exciting ways!

Generac’s generous financial contribution allowed Retzer Nature Center to offer free admission to the event. Generac also invited their employees from the Waukesha Headquarters (located only 6 miles from Retzer) to volunteer during the event.

SCIENCE SCIENCE

Volunteers helped staff a variety of educational tables with interactive activities for guests and assisted with guiding guests to the programs, hikes and presentations going on throughout the nature center. Their support made the event a great experience for the whole community and helped lightened the load for staff too!

CONSERVATION IN THE PARKS

STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS

TREE PLANTING EVENTS

MONCHES PROPERTY REFORESTATION PROJECT

Thursday, November 3, 2023

Volunteer Tree Planting

650 trees and shrubs planted!

• Completed Phase IV of our reforestation project, conversion of old ag fields to mesic forest adding native buffer to the Oconomowoc River!

ARBOR DAY VOLUNTEER TREE PLANTING

Friday, April 29, 2023 Mukwonago Park

• 70 Volunteers

• 300+ Native Trees and Shrubs Planted

• Sponsored by Johnson’s Nursery

Support from Waukesha County’s Parkland Conservation Fund and time from volunteers has made this possible!

Smooth Green Snake THANK YOU!

Special thanks to volunteers from CarMax of Waukesha, Modern Hire, Kohls, Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors and Tim O’Brien Homes for their help planting in 2023! Please consider donating to help complete the next phase!

WWW.WAUKESHACOUNTY.GOV/PARKLANDCONSERVATION

Help Protect Your Parks

WAUKESHA COUNTY

PARKLAND CONSERVATION FUND

The Parkland Conservation Fund helps protect, restore, and enhance greenspaces throughout the Waukesha County Park System.

This stewardship fund focuses on wildlife habitat restoration and improvements to natural areas. Donations are an investment in local natural resources, public lands and parks for generations to come.

PROJECTS IN NEED!

Brown’s Fen Revitalization Project at Retzer Nature Center - NEW!

Phase 1 of this project will include forestry mowing and treatment of the invasive woody brush followed by the reintroduction of prescribed fire. These proposed activities would not only bring the fen back to a more manageable state for our staff and volunteers to maintain, but they would improve the hydrological function provided by the fen ecosystem and increase the unique species diversity that is present there, including the unique pollinator species Baltimore Checkerspot and the Federally-endangered Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee.

Help us reach our goal!

Monches Property Restoration

Over 500 trees and shrubs have been planted as part of phases 1 and 2. We have 8 acres and 400 more trees to go along the Oconomowoc River Greenway!

Help us reach our goal!

Testimonials

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When you volunteer, you learn more than just about your activity. You see other species surrounding your area that you can learn more about. You work with experts who share knowledge. You get to see first-hand how ecosystems and natural cycles work!

“

It was great having the opportunity for our group to get together and feel like we were making a difference in the community at the same time.