My Time at the RFF

Once a month for a few hours I would visit the main building of the RFF and help with some of the work their "F.O.R.B" volunteer group usually does. Which stands for “Fostering Our Riparian Biodiversity”. Riparian means land that is alongside a river or creek. Arguably, this is the most important work that the RFF does for our community. By fighting invasive species and helping native species thrive, they keep our ecosystem intact and functioning. 

Young Beaver by Vince Bushell

Why I feel this work is so important, is because of how much the dry land in the upland ecosystem is affected by that of the rivers. Not only do many of the animals within Milwaukee rely on the food and breeding area the greenway supplies, but without the greenways biodiversity, we risk erosion. The erosion is apart of a multi-factor issue. One of the factors of an invasive species is that it lacks its natural predators. This allows them to reproduce and flourish without being kept in check. When they take over areas of land, that land no longer contributes to feeding the wildlife population. But the lack of diversity within the root system can lead to pockets where the soil is no longer bound. In a wetland area like the greenway, this is crucial because, without a secure river bed, entire parts of land could wash away from the force of the river. One example of a food that is eliminated with invasive species, are the trees themselves. Little do people know, we've recently been able to reintroduce beavers to downtown. Definitely an example of charismatic megafauna for their cuteness, they are often crucial to the ecosystems they inhabit. A key part of their diet is literally trees! But if the land is covered in an invasive species, then new trees won't be able to bud. But even as they consume trees that they prefer, they allow for other native species of trees to have a chance as well. This effectively begins a cycle of positive feedback as more trees mean more biodiversity, which means more species. And if those species are anything like the beaver, will help create even more biodiversity within their presence. Without beavers and the stagnant shallow water areas they create along the river beds, many species wouldn't be able to have a place to lay eggs and reproduce. Additionally, the dams help filter and cleanse water naturally. So the work that the RRF volunteers do isn't just to create a nice place for people to visit. But they also help keep everyone safe from the possibility of the land formations changing and our water becoming contaminated. 

As apart of my help with F.O.R.B, we focused primarily on the removal of invasive species. During other periods of the year, volunteers may come to collect the seeds of native species, process them, plant them, and monitor the wildlife or upkeep the trail. There is a vast array of invasive species along and within the Milwaukee River. Because of this, unless it's the winter, there is always something that can be pulled. During my day in September, we focused mainly on ragweed. Ragweed is apart of the Aster family, but they are very different from the Aster I'll be talking about later. Ragweed isn't the most appealing plant, but it's also not unsightly. The issue is in how quickly they can spread, and how much they compete for the resources of other plants. This is why in most of the areas that I found ragweed, it was in monoculture clusters. They reproduce both with seeds, but also with rhizomes, meaning they create new offspring from their roots. All of this knowledge is courtesy of Vince. 

Ragweed, Royalty-Free from Pixabay

Truthfully, my day in October was not as critically important to the environment as was in September. Most of the invasive species were either dead or pulled, and since it was just me that day, Vince didn't really have a plan. However, a group from Madison who advocates for free speech journalism was going to be visiting that day. So we built them a fire and helped make their stay here more enjoyable while teaching them more about the area. It's not the anticipated kind of work, but building connections and relations with other groups is a great way to help open more funding opportunities. Also, Vince felt that if there were any discrepancies, my time on my own should count as hours. 

Vincent Bushell not only is full time with the RRF, but he's the editor for the Riverwest Currents. It's a local monthly newspaper/letter. There are printed copies found around the area, as well as a free pdf that you can find online. When I met Vince in September, we were discussing my interest in plants and my former trade of being a fine artist. He expressed that he had been hoping to find someone to make botanical illustrations to put in the newsletter. His goal is to use them to educate people on identifying native species and invasive species, and other fun information about them. Unfortunately, I have yet to receive the scans of my illustrations back from Vincent. But I do have a 'work in progress' photo of my purple New England Aster. 

Reference Plant

Pre-colored WIP image