Aquatic Invasive Species Snapshot Day 2026

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August 8th

Save the Date:
Join the statewide search for aquatic invasive species!

Volunteer registration opens June 1, 2026!

An Overview of Snapshot Day

Snapshot Day is a statewide, one-day event connecting volunteers, water lovers, and local conservation groups in a search for aquatic invasive species (AIS). You can help protect Wisconsin’s rivers, lakes, and wetlands from these invasive plants and animals that may negatively impact habitat, wildlife, recreation and health. This event is coordinated in partnership with UW-Madison Division of Extension, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, local partners, and YOU!

Check out our results from 2025! And for an even more detailed look at Snapshot Day, check out our volunteer handbook.

black binoculars in a blue circle. The circle has a thick orange border. Text at the bottom reads Snapshot Day.
What You’ll Do

You will meet at a local training site of your choosing, hosted by one of our local partners. After a short training on how to identify target aquatic invasive species and how to follow search protocols, volunteers will look for invasive species at critical monitoring sites, and potential invasive species will be verified and cataloged with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to guide species control and conservation management plans. This is a free event and no experience or special equipment is required.

This is event is recommended for ages 8 and up; minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Locations

Statewide!

2026 locations TBD – check back in late May for a full list.

Sample Schedule*

8:30 AM    –   9:00 AM     Sign in at your Snapshot Day location and receive monitoring site assignments.

9:00 AM    –   9:30 AM     Brief training tailored to your monitoring sites.

9:30 AM    – 11:30 AM     Search for aquatic invasive species at monitoring sites.

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM     Return to your Snapshot Day training location to report your finds!

*Times may vary slightly by location

Event Background

Snapshot Day began in 2014 and was originally organized by River Alliance of Wisconsin. Snapshot Day is currently organized by University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension in close partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). Funding is provided by by WDNR. Snapshot Day is held in coordination with Starry Trek, an AIS search event held in Minnesota on the same day, hosted by Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center and University of Minnesota Extension.

Snapshot Day in the News!

Citizens become water guardians on Aquatic Invasive Species Snapshot Day

Larry Meiller Show – WPR

A volunteer stands on a bridge looking at two volunteers in a stream.

Eyes on the Water: How Snapshot Day Is Turning Wisconsinites into Guardians of Our Waters

UW Extension Natural Resources Institute

A volunteer sits on her kayak with water hyacinth, an aquatic invasive species, she pulled and removed from a Wisconsin waterway.
Photo Highlights from Past Snapshot Days
A group of volunteers stand around a table. They are outside on a sunny day.
Madison-Dane County
Three volunteers stand under an awning holding a poster that reads "Snapshot Day". In the background is a lake.
New Richmond – St. Croix County
Four volunteers stand in a field in front of a brown sign.
Richland Center – Richland County
A group of volunteers look on as a volunteer explains the day's activities.
Milwaukee – Milwaukee County
Two volunteers stand on a dock surrounded by AIS.
Manitowoc – Manitowoc County
A person gathering samples from the edge of a lake using a bright green net
Lake Tomahawk – Oneida County
Calumet County
A group of volunteers stand in a field on an overcast day.
Wisconsin Rapids – Wood County
Photo of a rusty crayfish in a net.
Beaver Dam – Dodge County
A group of three people holding green scoop containers used for gathering samples
Hartland – Waukesha County

Location:

Statewide

Cost:

Free