Our beloved Riverway Speaker Series is returning—with a virtual twist!

Beginning in January 2021, SCRA staff will bring experts to you through our new “Lunch and Learn” series, sharing important conservation messages and enriching understanding of the natural resources, cultural values, and recreational opportunities that make the Riverway special. 

In the river below Upper St. Croix Lake in Solon Springs, Wisconsin, you’ll find a hidden treasure—Northern wild rice, known as manoomin to the Ojibwe. It is only found in abundance in Minnesota and Wisconsin and  provides food and a place to rest and nest for many creatures, including migrating waterfowl.

In this free presentation by Peter David with the Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Commission, you’ll learn about this amazing resource and some of the biggest challenges it faces. 

Presenter: Peter David, Wildlife Biologist, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission

Peter is a wildlife biologist with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, where he assists GLIFWC’s member tribes in the implementation of their off-reservation, treaty-reserved rights.  He received his education (bachelors and master degrees in Wildlife Ecology) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and from the tribal elders and members for whom he has worked for the last 30+ years.   At the Commission, he has had the opportunity to work with a variety of natural resources ranging from waterfowl to wolves, but his greatest focus has been on manoomin or wild rice.  He likes to spend his free time with his wife Lisa, family, friends – or even himself – doing something in the outdoors.

Topic: Manoomin in a Changing World

“Wisconsin is one of the few places in the world to contain a significant abundance of Manoomin, or wild rice.  Thus, our role as stewards of this resource has global significance.  Unfortunately, rice abundance in the state has declined significantly, and the rice remaining on the landscape is threatened by changes in the climate and the biological community.  This presentation will provide a brief overview of the ecology of manoomin, touch on its cultural and ecological significance, and provide an introduction to the challenges it is facing as a result of climate change and increasing goose and swan populations.”