Aquatic Invasive Species Snapshot Day – 2025

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August 9th

Join the statewide search for aquatic invasive species!

Registration opens June 2, 2025

Follow us on Facebook for event updates and all things invasive species: https://www.facebook.com/uwaisprogram

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 story map from 2022 and our blog post of the results of Snapshot Day 2024!

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.

A virtual volunteer training will be held on August 1, 2025. The training will review event history and goals, search protocols, what to wear and how to prepare, and more! It will be recorded for those unable to attend live. To attend the live training, please register HERE.

Schedule – Day Of

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

Locations

Coming soon! We typically have over 20 training locations to choose from across Wisconsin!

Volunteers meet at training sites to learn how to identify aquatic invasive species.
Volunteers search for invasive species at local monitoring sites. Volunteers are able to assist with monitoring from the shore, or by entering the water.

Location:

Statewide

Cost:

FREE

Contact:

Emily Heald

emily.heald@wisc.edu