Community invited to take part in Tomahawk Snapshot Day event

TOMAHAWK – The Lincoln County Land Services Department is inviting nature lovers of all ages to participate in a Snapshot Day event in Tomahawk.

Snapshot Day is a statewide event focused on searching for aquatic invasive species (AIS) in rivers, lakes and wetlands.

This year’s Snapshot Day will be hosted at 20-plus locations across Wisconsin on Saturday, Aug. 8.

The local event will be held at Wayside Park, N11541 Roberts Rd., Tomahawk, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

On Snapshot Day, volunteers gather at local training sites hosted by community conservation partners. After a brief training on how to identify target AIS and follow search protocols, participants will visit designated monitoring sites to search for invasive species. Any potential findings are documented and shared with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), supporting ongoing efforts to detect, control and manage these species.

Snapshot Day offers a hands-on, community-driven approach to science, allowing volunteers to directly contribute to preserving Wisconsin’s water health.

As one 2025 volunteer noted, “I really appreciated the strong sense of community and the shared passion for protecting our lakes. It was fascinating to learn not only about invasive species in our area, but also the challenges others are facing in their own lakes. It reinforced how crucial early detection is in preserving these ecosystems.”

“Projects like AIS Snapshot Day are a fun and simple way for volunteers to get involved and for local site leaders and the WDNR to collaborate,” said Maureen Ferry, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) AIS Monitoring Coordinator. “The DNR has a long list of sites with suspected but unverified AIS that Snapshot Day helps target. This increases the chances of volunteers finding new species. Plus, each year, we make new detections.”

This will be the fifth time Lincoln County has hosted a Snapshot Day event.

This is a free event, and no experience or special equipment is required. This event is recommended for ages eight and up. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Registration will be open through Friday, Aug. 7. Registration is requested to help Site Leaders build monitoring plans.

To learn more about the Tomahawk event or to register, visit www.wateractionvolunteers.org/events/; or contact Tom Boisvert at 715-539-1054 or Thomas.Boisvert@co.lincoln.wi.us.