Category: Research Profile

Peatlands are powerhouses when it comes to improving water quality, minimizing flood risks, providing habitat and storing carbon. Yet, most people are unaware of these important ecological places.

Researchers and students from UW-Green Bay and UW-Madison hope to change that. With funding from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, they are studying the connection between water quality and vegetation in Wisconsin’s peatlands and developing educational materials for students and community members. The project combines field work, lab skills, art and photography.

The team includes seven undergraduates led by Keir Wefferling, principal investigator and herbarium curator at UW-Green Bay, and Mary Ann Feist, co-principal investigator and research curator at the Wisconsin State Herbarium at UW-Madison. Students also receive mentorship from two graduate students (Sarah Baughman, UW-Green Bay and Holly Johnson, UW-Madison) and a research assistant (Brandon Corder, UW-Madison).

“It’s been great to have so many students working on the project and in the field,” Wefferling says. He adds, “It’s been wonderful to have funding to have the collaboration across campuses.”

The major goals of the grant are to get students into Wisconsin’s peatlands for hands-on learning in plant identification, water chemistry, data collection and community assessment. Activities included Peat Retreat, a weeklong retreat in northern Wisconsin. Students learned from professionals including a sedge expert, a hydrogeomorphologist, a fern expert and a bryologist. At the end of the week, they were divided into teams for a competitive meander survey to see which team could identify the most plants correctly.

“We wanted them to go out and see what they could do on their own,” Feist says. “It was impressive to see how much they picked up in a week.”

Over the past year, the students have presented at events and participated in numerous workshops and field days, one of which included students in UW-Green Bay’s High School Summer Freshwater Scholars Program.

Based on their data collection, the students are creating educational Trail Side Guides for visitors to the The Ridges Sanctuary in Door County, Kemp Natural Resources Station in Oneida County, Scott Lake and Shelp Lake State Natural Area in Forest County and North Lakeland Discovery Center in Vilas County. Their first completed guide is for Bayshore Wetlands in Door County. Their data will also be included in the Peatland Primer, a resource for high school to college level students to help them learn about peatlands. The primer will be incorporated into a core course at UW-Green Bay and a course at Land Restoration School.

Hands-on Experiences in the Peatlands

Some of the undergraduates participating in the research shared details about their experience, what they are learning and how the project is training them for the workforce. Here’s what they had to say.

• Adam Bruce, UW-Green Bay, Water Science major
• Leyna Hegge, UW-Madison, Conservation Biology major
• Cora Kempfer, UW-Green Bay, Biology major with emphases in Cell/Molecular Biology and Ecology/Conservation
• Everest Orlikowski, UW-Madison, Wildlife Ecology major with a certificate in Freshwater and Marine Science
• Avery Vaas, UW-Madison, Botany major

What skills have you learned so far that enhance your classroom learning?

Bruce: Peatlands play such an important role in supporting biodiversity. Looking at how the water chemistry and hydrology affect the vegetation that is found in differing peatlands communities and vice versa has been a great opportunity to learn more about an important ecological niche here in Wisconsin, as well as a hands-on way to apply what I have been learning through coursework. I’ve learned a lot regarding plant identification, both in the field and in the lab. I’ve also learned how to effectively utilize resources to compare data we collect with what has been collected by others in the past. 

Hegge: I’ve gained technical skills, such as becoming much more proficient with dissecting and compound microscopes. I’ve also learned that there are so many different and meaningful ways to study. This summer I found that sketching the plants I was learning made it easier for me to recognize them in the field. I plan to apply similar methods to the classes I’m taking in the fall.

Kempfer: Joining this research as a freshman has allowed me to understand the workings of plants before taking specified classes about this topic. I have learned how convoluted dichotomous keys can be and the benefits of peer-review. This research lends to my understanding, my curiosity, and my tenacity in the lab and the field.

Orlikowski: Definitely all the plant identification I’ve learned! I didn’t know many plants before this summer, and this experience has really made me view the ecosystems I talk about in my wildlife classes in a whole new light.

Vaas: The time spent keying plants has helped me develop my learning style a surprising amount, and I’m excited to see how this will transfer to the classroom. Sometimes it goes very smoothly, and other days it’s a test of patience and attention to detail. It’s really helped me with the concept of not immediately knowing an answer and being able to work through it, though it may be arduous.

Has this project led to additional opportunities beyond research?

Bruce: This project has allowed me to experience firsthand some very special places in Wisconsin, as well as enabled me to meet a lot of amazing people doing great science and actively participating in their communities.

Hegge: I’ve had the opportunity to work on a trail guide, which has really honed my science communication skills. I was really excited to work on it because I’m getting a certificate in science communication, and it’s something I’m passionate about. I’ve done quite a bit of the design and writing for the guide, and I can’t wait to see it all come together.

Kempfer: Not only have I been able to call myself a researcher, but I have also been encouraged by everyone I work with to pursue my minor in studio arts as well. I am now drawing and painting depictions of bryophytes that will be published in trailside guides, and I’m writing two children’s books to reach younger learners. I am very grateful to be working in such a supportive environment where I can explore all the possibilities of my future careers and interests.

Orlikowski: In the fall, I think I will continue working in the herbarium, though not on the peatland project. I also have discovered a new passion for sedges through this project, which has been fun to explore in my own time.

Vaas: I’ve been offered the opportunity to stay on the Peatland Project during the school year, and I’m excited to see where that will lead.

What is your favorite part about the research? What is the most challenging or unexpected?

Bruce: My favorite part of the research would probably be the field days. It has been very informative to go to sites and see if certain water quality parameters, such as pH and dissolved oxygen, are in the realm that we would expect to see for those types of sites. I’ve also begun to learn about key indicator species for different types of peatlands here in Wisconsin. The most challenging aspect has been the naming conventions used. Even neighboring states such as Michigan and Minnesota have different names for the same type of peatland. It can take some time to parse through the differing information to make an appropriate comparison.

Hegge: Learning by doing. I can’t think of a college course that is this dense with information and hands-on learning, and with no exams! This experience has been invaluable to me. Knowing so little about plant identification before the project, I can really appreciate how far I’ve come this summer. There were times, especially in the beginning, that I felt a little overwhelmed by my lack of knowledge and experience in the field. But nobody I work with has ever made me feel dumb or like I should know everything. They’ve all been very supportive. Even my fellow students on the project are always teaching me something new.

Kempfer: My favorite part of this research is the perspective it gives me. As I am surrounded by people who share the same interest in bryology and have extensive amounts of natural knowledge, I can pick up on information I was previously unaware of. Now, when I venture into the world, I notice myself paying closer attention to the Schistidium on mini-golf courses and pointing out the call of white-and-black warblers — something I have been pleasantly surprised to learn about!

Orlikowski: I love getting out into the field and working at absolutely stunning sites. I didn’t know much about plants prior to this experience, so I have learned a lot quickly. The most unexpected thing was that I got really interested in sedges. Now, I’m doing some sedge identifying on my own outside of work.

Vaas: My favorite part has been identifying plants and learning about what makes each one unique and what traits connect them and help them survive in the harsh conditions of the peatland. A challenge that caught me off guard was how suddenly the botanical composition changes between different sites. It’s a humbling experience when you think you’ve caught on, and then you visit a new site, and you’re learning new information all over again.

Have there been benefits to collaborating with faculty and students from UW-Green Bay?

Bruce: One of the biggest benefits to collaborating with researchers and students from UW-Madison has been the amount of combined knowledge between the two teams. Everyone has always been happy to share their knowledge and help as much as they can. 

Hegge: I’ve learned a lot from the faculty and students from UW-Green Bay. A lot of them were at different parts of their academic careers, so it was inspiring hearing about what they were interested in and what they wanted to do next.

Kempfer: Being able to collaborate with everyone has made me so much more comfortable on campus. This transfers over to the field where we work with people from UW-Madison. Being surrounded by inquisitive and intelligent people makes the hot days in the fen much more entertaining and informative.

Orlikowski: I’ve been able to learn a lot from the UW-Green Bay students and faculty. I went to Door County with the Green Bay part of the team, and it was fun to visit the places they frequent for research.

Vaas: Collaborating with UW-Green Bay has been helpful. The members of that part of the project are further along in their career and schooling than I am, and it’s encouraging to see and hear about what you can do in this field of work.

How will what you learned help you achieve your career goals?

Bruce: My post-graduation plans are to pursue a master’s degree and ultimately to be in a position where I can be conducting research within the Great Lakes watershed. Gaining an understanding of the different types of peatlands and the role water plays in their function will provide me with foundational knowledge of how to help preserve these unique and important ecosystems. 

Hegge: This project has not only given me a lot of great experience, but it has also given me a much better idea of what kinds of careers I am interested in and how to get there. I’ve had a lot of great conversations with people further along in their academic and professional careers and heard about what it’s like to work in conservation and academia. I think having this job, rather than just taking classes, was the best way for me to know that I enjoy working with plants and doing field work. I had limited experience studying plants in my classes, so this project has opened the door for me to explore more of what I’m passionate about and gain valuable experience.

Kempfer: After I graduate, I would like to continue my research in bryology. I am interested in continuing the connection between art, writing and research to share knowledge with the public and make it as accessible as possible.

Orlikowski: I’m considering going to graduate school or doing field work for wildlife. My appreciation for plants, the field identification, and botanical survey techniques I have learned will serve me greatly no matter what I do. All the wildlife professionals I have spoken with have emphasized the importance of plant knowledge for a successful wildlife career.

Vaas: After undergrad, I’m planning to pursue my PhD in botany. This opportunity was invaluable for affirming my decision. It led to great networking experiences, a more realistic understanding of the field, and a confidence that I can be a botanist in the future. It’s also given me the chance to work with very knowledgeable people as I pursue my interest in bryophytes. 

Written by Heidi Jeter, Freshwater Collaborative

For a fifth year, students from Universities of Wisconsin Campuses stepped into the Kinnickinnic River in River Falls to gather data that track the ecological health of the river in advance of an expected dam removal project. The students spent two weeks working with University of Wisconsin-River Falls faculty on the Dam Analysis and Monitoring Crew, DAM Crew for short, wrapping up the program with a group presentation of their work on Friday, July 31.

Five students from UWRF, one student from UW-Milwaukee and two UWRF student interns participated in this year’s DAM Crew.  

The DAM Crew is a cooperative effort involving UWRF, the City of River Falls, the Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the Kinni Corridor Collaborative and Inter-Fluve. It is funded by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin.

UWRF faculty and staff created the DAM Crew to provide ecological monitoring for the city’s planned removal of the Junction Falls and Powell Falls Dams. During the project, undergraduate students were trained by river restoration professionals to monitor the ecological health and physical state of the Kinnickinnic River and establish a baseline to which the impacts of dam removal can be compared. Their data contributes to the 10-year Kinnickinnic River Monitoring Plan written in 2021.

Data Collection, Presentations and Professional Networking

For the first week of the program, students spent eight hours a day in the river gathering data. They spent the second week processing the data and creating a presentation highlighting their findings. They also networked with other professionals who work on riverway issues.

UWRF Plant and Earth Science Professor Jill Coleman Wasik, who created the DAM Crew, said the students get hands-on experience contributing to a real-world project, all while working in a group and meeting a tight deadline.

“They collect the data, they process the data, they analyze the data, they try to find the correlations and they put it all together in a limited time,” Coleman Wasik said. “I’m always amazed by what every group comes out with.”

Kayla Nagel, a senior UWRF conservation major from Anoka, Minn., said working on the DAM Crew helped her get a feel for working in the field.

“I thought it would be a really good experience and good for my resume,” Nagel said. “I also wanted to work outside and experience the kinds of skills I would need for a professional job. It was really fun — definitely something I want to keep growing in and building my skill set.”

Angelina Taylor, a junior UWRF ecology major from Woodbury, Minn., said she thought collecting and analyzing the data would be something only highly trained professionals could do, but she found it easy and enjoyable under the guidance of the faculty and other mentors.

“It definitely gave me a lot of confidence in my ability to do this in the future,” Taylor said. “I learned I really enjoy working outside. And it was very inspiring to see our work have actual outcomes.” 

Moving a Community Project Forward

The dam removal project moved one step closer to reality in April, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced it had approved the feasibility study. The study found that the changes in water flow, warmer water temperature and sedimentation caused by the dams have negatively impacted trout habitats. The next phase of the project, which would include engineering design of the dam removal and river restoration, will depend on USACE funding and River Falls City Council approval.

River Falls Mayor Alison Page says the city and the university have a long history of working together to safeguard this natural resource.

“More than 50 years ago, the UW-River Falls faculty began working with the community to restore, protect, and preserve the Kinnickinnic River,” Page said. “The City of River Falls values our partnership with UWRF to continue to study the health of the river. These students are doing important work to monitor the Kinni and help us understand the impacts of future river restoration. We look forward to continuing to partner with UWRF throughout our efforts on this project.”

In 2025, the Freshwater Collaborative committed to an additional six years funding for the DAM Crew, which will help see the 10-year monitoring plan to completion.

Written by Dan Lea, UW-River Falls Marketing and Communications

The Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve in Superior, Wisc., became a classroom for teachers this summer. For three days in June, educators from the Great Lakes region learned how to connect classroom teaching with real-world environmental challenges and solutions across the Great Lakes region.

The Great Lakes as a Classroom: From Environmental Literacy to Action, which took place June 16-18, 2026, brought together 20 teachers and non-classroom educators from Huron, Ohio (Old Woman Creek NERR); Superior/Duluth (Lake Superior NERR) and the Green Bay region (Oneida Nation, Forest County Potawatomi, and Green Bay Public Schools).

The workshop was part of a series of educator workshops hosted by National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) sites. These workshops provide immersive, hands-on professional development opportunities for educators across the country focused on coastal and estuarine learning. This was the first collaborative Great Lakes-focused workshop.

Teachers learned alongside scientists, education specialists, and fellow educators to explore current conditions in the Great Lakes, human and natural impacts, and practical strategies for community science and stewardship. They participated in a paddle on Pokegama Bay and pulling invasive plants at Wisconsin Point, a field trip to the Great Lakes Aquarium, and lessons on estuary mapping, learning with native plans, and microplastics. Educators received ready-to-use resources, such as classroom rain gauges and estuary field guides, to help them bring Great Lakes learning into their classrooms.

“Teachers loved the opportunity to connect with educators from other parts of the region,” said Emily Tyner, director of freshwater strategy at UW-Green Bay and lead on the Green Bay NERR designation. “We were pleased to use funding from the Freshwater Collaborative to provide this opportunity to educators in the Green Bay area.”

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Comments from evaluation surveys included:

• “I/we can and should expand our stewardship projects to the community. My perspective has changed because now I know others have done this, and I have a network of support.”
• “These workshops and connecting with other humans that care about land and people in the ways I do, fills my heart and soul.”
• “LOTS of amazing resources that I am very excited about using right away!”
• “I love the idea of infusing culture and sense of place into teaching. I could see how it would be easy to infuse what we learned into writing and art.”
• “I have learned so much about estuaries, and I’m excited to share ALL of this with my colleagues and students.”

The workshop was hosted collaboratively by the Lake Superior and Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserves, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Superior Rivers Watershed Association, Planet Stewards Program through the National Earth Science Teachers Association in partnership with NOAA, and the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve. Additional funding support came from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Coastal Management Program.

Learn more about educator workshops offered by UW-Green Bay with support from the Freshwater Collaborative.

Farron Bussian wasn’t sure what to expect when she applied for an internship with Jacobs Engineering in October 2023, but she was quickly integrated into a national team of water professionals.

“At the time, I wasn’t entirely sure what kind of careers were open to me, but I knew I wanted to be able to work outdoors to an extent,” says Bussian, who graduated from UW-Parkside with her master’s degree in biology in August 2025. “The internship at Jacobs was my first experience with drinking water systems.”

The internships came about through a collaboration with the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin and UW Oshkosh that enabled Jacobs to quickly hire students from 10 of the Universities of Wisconsin to work on Wisconsin’s Service Line Inventory Project. The Freshwater Collaborative hosted informational webinars for Jacobs to connect with students across the state, and UW Oshkosh managed the hiring and payroll processes.

The streamlined process allowed Jacobs to onboard students quickly and deliver service line material inventories to Wisconsin community water systems under tight federal deadlines. Students received training, mentoring, and hands-on experience in the water industry as part of Jacobs’ project team.

Bolstering Jacobs’ Workforce

Bussian was one of 30 students who worked with Jacobs employees to provide water systems with the technical assistance they needed to meet the goals of the federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. 

At the peak of the internship project, which ran through June 2025, students were providing nearly half the weekly work hours to supplement the Jacobs’ team. This allowed the program to serve more water systems quickly and efficiently. The team helped about 320 small Wisconsin water systems comply with the federal requirements.

“This was huge for us, not only for the learning opportunity we could give to students but in terms of augmenting our staff,” says Natalie Lenz, a water resources engineer at Jacobs. “The students were contributing through hands-on technical tasks like reviewing data and record drawings, creating service line material inventories, working in our collaborative digital environment, and helping with site visits to visit different water systems.”

In addition, Lenz says, mentoring students provided opportunities for Jacobs’ staff interested in growing their leadership skills. “It was a really rewarding experience for the Jacobs team who trained and mentored students one-on-one and in small groups. We were so excited to hear from alumni who decided to pursue jobs in the water sector.”

A Path to Jobs

The real-world experiences helped many of the students land jobs.

Baylie Hansen graduated from UW-Whitewater in May 2024 and now works as a watershed conservation coordinator assistant for Waterways Association of Menominee and Shawano Counties. Her time with Jacobs reinforced the importance of attention to detail and effective client communication.

“In my current position, I feel a lot more confident in communicating with landowners and managing my time within my projects,” she says.

Before her internship, Skylar Johnston had a lot of field experience working in rivers. She was interested in learning about water safety in city settings. Through site visits on the Lead Service Line Inventory project, Johnston learned extensive GIS data entry skills, how to read construction drawings and the impacts of lead in drinking water. She also worked on another Freshwater Collaborative project: BenthicNet.

The practical skills paid off. She began work as a water services coordinator for the city of Racine a month before graduating from UW-Parkside with a master’s in biological sciences in May 2026.

“A component of my new job is working with the city of Racine on the lead inventory work!” she says.

Bussian’s experience went so well that she was hired as a full-time water resource scientist at Jacobs. In addition to providing technical support on the Service Line Inventory Project, Bussian interacts with clients and supports multiple teams at Jacobs. She is also working on environmental monitoring and remediation projects.

“I have a great balance of office work and field work,” she says. “I am excited to continue learning and hopefully to see the Service Line Inventory project through to the end!”

If you are a company interested in hiring university students to work on similar projects, we invite you to reach out to the Freshwater Collaborative to see how we might partner.

Written by Heidi Jeter, Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin

UW-Stout leads three of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin’s longest-running programs that train the next generation of water scientists: the Field Hydrology three-week advanced field course, the Red Cedar River Basin Internship Program, and the Water in Western Wisconsin: An Interdisciplinary Freshwater Field Camp for High School Students.

The programs involve multiple faculty and staff from UW-Stout, UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, and UW-Oshkosh and are open to students across the state. Many of the undergraduate participants serve as mentors to the high school students.

Read about the programs and students involved in UW-Stout Polytechnic’s Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group trains next generation of water scientists.

Dr. Sarah Vitale, associate professor of geology and environmental science at UW-Eau Claire, is helping Wisconsin educators teach their students about groundwater flow and its impact.

During a workshop on June 26, 2026, she guided K-12 educators through exercises and discussions. They learned how water moves from the earth’s surface into wells, aquifers, rivers and lakes, and how to measure water depth and determine its flow. They also toured the city of Eau Claire’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Each instructor received a free groundwater model for their classroom. Dana Lex, who has taught for 28 years at West De Pere High School, drove across the state to acquire a model.

A Freshwater Collaborative grant covers the workshop costs, including the groundwater models and meals and lodging for participants.

Read more about the workshop and hear from participants.

What’s it like to work as a marine tech? Four UW-Milwaukee students took a five-day crash course that taught them all about this career — and earned them a marine tech deck microcredential from the Marine Technology Society.

The 2026 Expedition to Great Lake Michigan course, funded by the Freshwater Collaborative, turns classroom learning into intensive practical skills practice aboard UW-Milwaukee’s Research Vessel Neeskay. The course is open to students from any university.

On day one, Neeskay Captain Max Morgan provided an overview of marine tech careers, terminology and vessel operations. The next day, students went through hands-on activities in the classroom followed by a day aboard the ship to get hands-on reinforcement of what they learned. Skills included knot tying, hydraulic winch operation and safety, scientific equipment deployment and pilothouse procedures.

“Students learned how to bridge the gap between vessel operations and science at sea,” Morgan said.

The second part of the week focused on freshwater research. Ben Peterson, assistant professor, introduced students to limnology, mercury cycling, and field sampling methods. Then they applied their knowledge aboard the Neeskay during a foggy, rainy expedition on Lake Michigan. 

“The day on the vessel mimicked a sampling day from my research, where we collected water, sediments, phytoplankton and mussels for a study on mercury cycling in the Great Lakes,” Peterson said. “The goal was to make it as real-life as possible, to give them a sense of what it’s like to be on a project on a research vessel.”

Ethan Lloyd, a conservation/environmental sciences major, described his life as “remarkably terrestrial.” He hadn’t spent much time on the water prior to this course and thought it could be an interesting addition to his summer. Not only was it a fun learning experience, but it opened his eyes to career possibilities.

Celia Vowels, on the other hand, is an international studies major who works as a deckhand on the Neeskay.

“I took this class to go deeper with my boat knowledge, learn about what it takes to be a marine technician, and gain some credentials,” she said. “This class confirmed that I want to get more involved with boats career-wise, and this was a cool way to explore another route to do that.”

By Heidi Jeter, Freshwater Collaborative

Students from UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls and UW-Stout recently participated in a three-week field study course in hydrology, the study of water, its movement and interactions with the environment. They spent a week with faculty on each campus examining the unique ground and surface water systems in each region. The annual summer course is funded by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin.

Check out the great video UW-Eau Claire created, which showcases two of the student projects. Read more about the course and the students who took it.