Balancing Wild Rice & Waterfowl

Balancing Wild Rice & Waterfowl

• Tuesday, July 8, at 7:00 pm for a look at a study on the impact of waterfowl herbivory on wild rice.
• Registration is NOT required.
• The talk will be held at Kemp Station’s Connor Forestry Center, Woodruff, WI

Wild rice (Zizania Palustirs), called manoomin in the Ojibway language, is a grass found in shallow lake and river bottoms in the Great Lakes Region. Natural stands of wild rice support diverse animal communities and is an important food source for migrating waterfowl. Many factors influence the successful growth of wild rice. Water level is one factor that can dramatically affect crop success. One of the less understood impacts to wild rice is herbivory from waterfowl. What is the impact of waterfowl herbivory on wild rice growth, resilience, and restoration efforts? Learn about wild rice and how the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is working to protect this valuable resource in the Great Lakes Region. Christian Dahlquist, a Natural Resources Field Technician, will talk more about the research project, methods, and what was learned during the first field season.