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Extension Lakes Hiring Director/Outreach Specialist
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We're Hiring!
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is seeking a Director/Outreach Program Specialist to guide the Extension Lakes team!
Extension Lakes is currently comprised of five team members and has statewide responsibilities to develop, design, and deliver multi-program, lake-related education. Program planning and delivery is coordinated within the UW-Stevens Poing College of Natural Resources in coordination with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.
This is an opportunity to lead a respected statewide program while making a meaningful difference for Wisconsin’s lakes and the people and communities who depend on them.
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New & Improved Extension Lakes Website!
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If you have been spending all of your time on the lake this summer and avoiding screens (good for you!), you may not have noticed that we have a new website! We hope you like the new look and feel and can easily find how to get involved and stay engaged with preserving our beautiful lakes. If you can't find what you're looking for or wish we provided something that isn't available, please reach out and let us know by emailing lakes@uwsp.edu!
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Check out these highlights:
Free Newsletters (Lake Tides and Lake Ripples)
We have been working diligently to archive the 51 years of Lake Tides newsletter articles into a permanent space (thousands of old links needed to be updated).
- Search articles by key word, category, and year
- Use articles in your own communications - we encourage it!
- Update/refresh your own subscription.
- Share these free publications with your friends and neighbors!
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On-demand Videos
You no longer have to follow a link to watch helpful videos–they're embedded directly into the site!
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New and Improved Lake List Directory
Search Wisconsin’s lake organizations and businesses and manage your lake group/business contacts. This tool can help support community engagement among lake groups across the state. Check back often to view improvements.
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NEW Resources!
- The AIS Publications and Products catalog is now online with a new look and functionality! This new system will track the items and quantity you select and submit your order request. View the catalog!
- K-12 educational resources offer a way to engage your students in citizen science, find Extension Lakes bookstore faves for K-12 students, discover free publications about lakes and aquatic invasive species, and explore digital resources on our YouTube channel. Peruse our K-12 educational resources.
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Road Trip To Lulu Lake Preserve
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Blue vervain (Verbena hastata) blooms along the newly restored streambank while Extension Lakes and other partners tour Lulu Lake Preserve with Brian Miner from The Nature Conservancy. Photo by Amy Kowalski
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This summer, the Extension Lakes team had the opportunity to visit Lulu Lake Preserve in the southern Kettle Moraine and see first-hand the work that has been done to help this beautiful place "re-nature." In early spring this year, Ducks Unlimited and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) partnered to remove several buildings and man-made fish ponds to help restore the natural spring-fed stream that moves about 10 million gallons of water each month into Eagle Spring Lake. They also helped re-meander the stream and plant native grasses, sedges, and flowers along the shore. We were surprised to see so many plants already thriving in late summer, including some native plants that popped up on their own, like bulrush and common stonewort. Lulu Lake Preserve, protected by TNC, is one of Wisconsin’s highest quality natural areas and is home to wetlands, oak openings, and rare fish and mussels.
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Phenology Fun Fact
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Water marigold can bloom underwater!
Water marigold (Bidens beckii) is one of the latest blooming species of Wisconsin's aquatic plants. It's common to see water marigold flowers well into September or even early October. As our state's only aquatic member of the aster family, it has the familiar starburst shape to its flowers and you may even see it bloom underwater! Water marigold is most common in the northern half of Wisconsin and prefers calm or gently flowing water with soft, organic sediments. Its highly dissected leaves are arranged in dense whorls like a bottlebrush and it is sometimes confused with other aquatic plants like bladderworts, coontail, or watermilfoils.
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Healthy Lakes & Rivers - Score My Shore Shoreland Evaluation Survey
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What is your waterfront property telling you about lake health?
If you subscribe to the free Lake Tides newsletter from us (Extension Lakes) or if you receive updates from the Wisconsin DNR through GovDelivery, you may have seen an article about the updated Healthy Lakes & Rivers Score My Shore survey. It's an easy-to-use online survey that waterfront property owners can use to learn how their shoreline is affecting their lake or river. Checking it out could lead to healthier water, more diverse wildlife, and a shoreline you can feel even better about sharing with family, friends, and neighbors. And when those neighbors get curious, you’ll have something valuable to pass along, because it takes all of us to make healthy lakes and rivers together!
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2027 Lake and River Stewardship Awards
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2026 Lake Stewardship Award winners (L to R): James Brancel, Spider Lake Association, Iron County (Programmatic Excellence for Lake Health), Larry Bresina, Lakekit.net (Lifetime Achievement Award), Steve Johnson, Fish Lake Property Owners Association, Burnett County (Excellence in Building Partnerships), Tom VanDenBogart, Protect Lake Beulah, Walworth County (Excellence in Public Engagement), Tim Asplund, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Excellence in Public Service).
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Lake Stewardship Awards
Nomination deadline: December 1, 2026
Do you know an outstanding person or group who dedicates time and talent to protect and preserve our state’s lakes? We encourage you to nominate them for a prestigious Wisconsin Lake Stewardship Award! The Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Partnership present the Wisconsin Lake Stewardship awards each year in celebration of the extraordinary volunteer and professional efforts made to protect and improve lakes in Wisconsin. The Stewardship Awards represent our best collective effort to honor and celebrate all the incredible work that goes into ensuring the future of our state’s legacy of lakes.
Award Nomination Categories:
- Excellence in Public Engagement
- Excellence in Building Partnerships
- Programmatic Excellence for Lake Health
- Excellence in Professional Service
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Recipients of past Stream Monitoring Awards, with Wisconsin DNR and UW-Madison Extension staff.
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Do you know an outstanding person or group who dedicates substantial time and energy to protecting Wisconsin’s streams and rivers? UW-Madison Extension, in collaboration with River Alliance of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin DNR developed this award to represent the growing vision and collective effort to celebrate the incredible work that goes into ensuring the future of Wisconsin's high-quality streams and rivers.
Award Nomination Categories:
- Outstanding River Steward
- Outstanding River Professional
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Do you have local awards that honor groups or individuals making a difference for our lakes or rivers? Consider forwarding their nomination to the state level for the Lake or River Stewardship Awards!
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Upcoming Events
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Maritime History and Shipwreck Overview
October 7, 2026 | Online (7pm)
The Wisconsin Water Library, in partnership with the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Program, is launching a new book club, Dive Into History, focused on maritime history and shipwrecks.
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Great Lakes Great Reads Webinar Convo with Rebecca Hogue Wojahn
October 14, 2026 | Online (6-7pm)
Join UW-Sea Grant for their upcoming webinar conversation with Rebecca Hogue Wojahn, author of Saving our Sturgeon: Protecting Wisconsin's Ancient Fish. This book introduces middle-grade readers to a very peculiar fish and the successful efforts that led to its continuing survival. Concerted efforts by children, Indigenous communities, community scientists, and government organizations contributed to the return of the threatened species. The author will talk about this remarkable fish, researching and writing for a middle school reader, and answer questions from attendees.
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16th Annual Wisconsin Science Festival
October 15-25, 2026 | Areas across Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Science Festival was founded on the notion that art and science go hand-in-hand. Many events highlight this intersection and can range from guided nature hikes to story times, hands-on expos, and pub talks, so there is likely something for all ages.
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Wetland Science Conference Call for Proposal Deadline
November 15, 2026 | Elkhart Lake
Wisconsin Wetland Association is calling for oral and poster presentations for the annual Wetland Science Conference. This year's theme is Partnering for Wetlands.
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Surface Water Grant Application Deadline
November 16, 2026 | Statewide
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International Invasive Species and Climate Change Conference
December 1-2, 2026 | Virtual
The North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) is holding its 3rd annual conference virtually this year.
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SAVE THE DATE - Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Convention
April 14-16, 2027 | Stevens Point
Save the date for next year's Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Convention. The 2027 theme is "Water Connects Us All."
Friday keynote: James Edward Mills
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"Fish in the fall are like shoppers on Black Friday. They know winter is coming, and they are grabbing every single snack in sight."
Anonymous
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"Betwixt" earned an Honorable Mention at the 2025 Lakes and Rivers Photo Contest in the Natural Features In and Around Lakes and Under Water category. It was taken on Blue Lake in Oneida County by James Arnold.
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