Education Team Welcomes You to the Boat Launches
Every summer, the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and partner organizations across the state welcome new hires to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. These new staff members help with the Clean Boats, Clean Waters Program and talk with water users at local boat launches. Thanks to a contract from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance was able to grow our aquatic invasive species program in the Winnebago Waterways by hiring six educators for Summer 2021! Take a minute to learn more about the seasonal team that is working directly to protect your local waters!
Alyssa – CBCW Coordinator
Alyssa is working her 3rd year with the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance doing the Clean Boats, Clean Waters project and it is her second year as the project Coordinator. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh this Spring with a double major in Geography and Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Policy and Values. She received the Chancellors Award of Excellence, had gotten multiple green initiative projects funded on campus, and participated in a student-faculty research study on campus. Alyssa is planning on continuing her education at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee for a master’s degree in Geography in Fall of 2022.
Mara – AIS Educator
Mara is joining the CBCW crew as an AIS educator for her first year. She is currently a senior attending St. Norbert college pursuing a degree in Environmental Science and Biology. Her favorite classes she’s taken are Disease Ecology and Animal Behavior. Mara is very passionate about animal rights and conservation. She loves to spend time outside with family and friends, take her dog on walks, go to new coffee shops and travel. A fun fact about her is that she’s been to over 15 national parks in the US and hopes to visit them all in her future.
Jordan – AIS Educator
Jordan is in his first year with the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance as an Aquatic Invasive Species Educator. He recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh as part of their Honors College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. Jordan looks to find future work dealing with either water quality or soil science, as those are his major interests, while also finding the time to better his local community.
Julia – AIS Educator
Julia has returned for her second summer working as an Aquatic Invasive Species Educator with the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in 2020 with a degree in Environmental Studies and Anthropology. In her free time she enjoys playing with her 8 month old puppy and hiking new trails throughout Wisconsin.
Noah – AIS Educator
Noah started working as an AIS educator this summer for the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance. Through his role as an educator, Noah works with boaters to ensure the containment of invasive plants and animals. He teachers boaters and anglers how to clean, drain and maintain their boats and equipment in order to deter invasive species from spreading. This fall, Noah plans on pursuing his education at the University of Stevens Point.
Steve – AIS Educator
Steve Berholtz is working on his third year as a summer AIS employee with the main job of informing and educating boaters at various boat landings. Steve graduated in 1972 from UW-Oshkosh with a BS in Mathematics and a minor in Economics. He worked for 40 years for Canteen Vending and also put in 34 years in the Army Reserves. He loves to hunt pheasants in South Dakota and Wisconsin with his pointing Labrador Sophie.
If you’re a boater or angler, make sure to say hello if you see our team at your favorite boat launch!
Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!
Photo Credit: Alyssa Reinke, Chris Acy
