The massive amount of species that makes Door County so biologically diverse is something the region is known for throughout the Midwest. Protecting that diversity is the goal of The Door County Invasive Species Team.
That's Door County Invasive Species Team Coordinator Kari Hagenow. She says the group is made up of natural resource professionals and concerned citizens who work in partnership to identify invasive species issues within the county and act on those issues. They also work to educate land owners on invasive species and give them the information they need to do something about it.
The group is made up of members of the Door County Land Trust, the Nature Conservancy, and the Ridges Sanctuary as well as local government representation by the door county soil and water conservation department, state government representation by members of the DNR, and federal government representation with a representative from the U.S Fish and wild life service.
The mission of DCIST is to empower the citizens of Door County; to give them the tools and skills they need to identify invasive species and control them.
Hagenow says the organization's current work has been fighting invasive Phragmites, a large grass which gets in the way of many native species getting the resources they need to survive.
Hagenow says DCIST is doing some programs in southern door right now; giving basic info on identifying invasive species, talking about some of the projects they have going on, and trying to find volunteers in the area.
If you would like to get involved with DCIST, contact them at (920) 743-8695 or dcist1@gmail.com.
