Annual Lakes Convention in Green Bay
Top international, national and state water leaders to speak at annual lakes convention
GREEN BAY – The internationally renowned dean of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, a pioneering federal fish and wildlife official, and Wisconsin’s top water leader are among the speakers headlining the annual Wisconsin Lakes Convention set for April 9-11 in Green Bay.
“We’ve reached out to speakers who bring different statewide, national and international perspectives and ideas for how we can build new and more diverse partnerships to better protect and restore Wisconsin lakes,” said Carroll Schaal, Department of Natural Resources lakes partnership coordinator.
David Garman, dean of the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, an Australian and former chair of the International Water Association, will share a “big picture” overview of global freshwater challenges as well as the emerging research and outreach projects at the School of Freshwater Sciences. That school is the only graduate school solely devoted to freshwater science in the U.S. and one of three in the world.
Garman will speak on April 10, along with Ken Johnson, administrator for the Department of Natural Resources water division and current chair of the Great Lakes Commission. Johnson – who oversees 600 DNR staff with responsibilities related to lakes and rivers, fisheries, drinking water and wetlands – will report on the implementation of phosphorus reduction measures to clean up lakes and rivers, progress in addressing aquatic invasive species, and his vision for expanding the model and successes of the Lakes Partnership to other water-related areas.
Mamie Parker, the first African-American to serve as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Regional Director, will speak April 11. Parker started as a fish health practitioner at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery in Wisconsin, and served at both the Green Bay Ecological Services Field Office and the National Fish Hatchery at Lake Mills before climbing the ranks in the national and regional offices. Recently retired, Parker is well known as an inspiring motivational speaker.
Also speaking April 11 is six-time Emmy-award-winning documentary filmmaker Allison Argo, known for films that include The Last Frog, The Secret Life of Cats, and Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History. Her closing presentation begins at 2:45 p.m. April 11 and is open to the public; however, people are encouraged to register for the convention online and participate in a wide range of workshops, educational sessions and guest speaker presentations.
In addition to keynotes, attendees to the Wisconsin Lakes Convention can select from a wide range of pre-convention workshops on April 9. The convention is one of the nation’s largest gatherings of lake enthusiasts and advocates and is sponsored by the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership, which is led by DNR, Wisconsin Lakes, a statewide lakes advocacy group, and the University of Wisconsin-Extension.
The convention also offers lake enthusiasts the chance to share strategies and projects that have been successful on a particular lake, according to Mary Knipper, president of Wisconsin Lakes.
“It’s amazing what people can learn simply from meeting and talking with fellow lake leaders from across the state,” she said. “People always come away from the Lakes Partnership Convention charged up and excited to tackle truly difficult lake issues.”
To see the full convention agenda including pre-convention workshops, or to register, go to www.uwsp.edu/cnr/uwexlakes/conventions (exit DNR).
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Carroll Schaal, DNR, 608-261-6423 ; Eric Olson, UWEX, 715-346-2192