Lake-loving volunteers are needed across the state of Minnesota on Saturday, August 21st, 2021 to participate in a search for starry stonewort!

Starry stonewort is an aggressive, aquatic invasive algae that can spread easily and grows into dense mats at and below the lake’s surface.

“Starry Trek” is an annual event where members of the public first gather at training sites to learn how to identify starry stonewort and other aquatic invasive species. The newly-trained citizen scientists then branch out to local water accesses to search for signs of the invasive species.

In 2020, 212 volunteers scoured 292 public water accesses on 238 waterbodies across the state – finding one new infestation of starry stonewort. There were other aquatic invasive species found too, as well as some very cool native species!

No experience or equipment is necessary to participate in Starry Trek. Expert training on monitoring protocols and starry stonewort identification will be provided on-site. This event is free, but registration is required. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

For most Anoka County residents, the closest rendezvous site is the Bunker Hills Activities Center in Andover, hosted by Anoka County Parks. Click here to register and to see an interactive map of all of the training sites. You will receive an email with additional details about your site, including you local coordinator’s contact information. Volunteers will receive a complimentary tote bag for participating in this event (guaranteed availability for all volunteers registered prior to August 15th).

Learn more about Starry Trek here.