Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference

10/13/2026

Four Exotic Pets Safely Surrendered During UMISC in La Crosse
Thank you J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue for organizing this opportunity.

J & R Aquatics held an exotic pet surrender with no questions asked. The event helps to keep invasive animals from being released into the wild.

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

Thanks for being a part of UMISC 2026!

10/08/2026

Thank you to our generous Event Sponsors that made UMISC 2026 possible! And thank you to everyone who joined us this week. We look forward to seeing you in 2028 in Rochester, MN.

10/08/2026

J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue is hosting a Pet Surrender Event immediately after the close of the conference. Find details on their website or if you are attending UMISC, stop by their booth to learn more.
https://www.jraar.org/exoticpetsurrenderevents See less

10/08/2026

DATCP utilizes public reporting tools such as iNaturalist and EDDMapS to detect new invasive plant pests entering the state. Learn more at the Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference (UMISC) in La Crosse on Thursday, October 8 at 10:40 a.m. during the “Community Science Part 2: Monitoring and Reporting” session.

For more information on UMISC, visit https://www.umisc.net.

10/07/2026

Thank you to Daily Sponsors Nutrien Ag Solutions and 4 Control!

Visit their booths and check out the panel discussion during today's session on maximizing benefits and minimizing risks when using herbicides to manage invasive plants.

10/07/2026

Thank you to Daily Sponsor Alligare.

Visit their exhibit booth and check out today's panel on maximizing benefits and reducing risks when using herbicides to control invasive plants.

https://alligare.com/

10/07/2026

Protect the places you love to hunt—for this season and generations to come. With just a few extra minutes of care, hunters can help stop invasive species in their tracks and keep Wisconsin’s wetlands and waterways thriving.

Simple Prevention Steps Every Hunter Can Take
Before entering and leaving any waterbody, be sure to:

• Inspect waders, boats, trailers, motors, and hunting gear — including boots, blinds, and dogs.
• Remove all plants, animals, and mud.
• Drain water from decoys, boats, motors, and other equipment.
• Never move live fish or plants from one waterbody to another.
• Remove seed heads and roots from vegetation used in duck blinds.

For more information about aquatic invasive species, including where they are prohibited and restricted in Wisconsin, visit the WI DNR’s Invasive Species webpage: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives

Content provided by Amy Kretlow, Wisconsin DNR
Photo credit Chris Hammerla, Golden Sands RC&D

10/07/2026

Graduate student Ryan Franke with Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center will be sharing research during today's Woody Invasives Symposium on methods to use native fungi to control invasive buckthorn in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

This research is supported by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund

https://mitppc.umn.edu/research/research-projects/biological-control-buckthorn-using-fungi

View all MITPPC projects listed by species. We have funded 48 research projects to date with over 25 projects in progress.