About Starry Trek
Started in 2017, Starry Trek is a statewide event focused on searching for one of Minnesota's newest aquatic invasive species, starry stonewort (and other invaders). Starry stonewort is an invasive algae that was first found in Lake Koronis in 2015 and has since spread to more Minnesota lakes (learn more about starry stonewort and our research). This event is an opportunity for you to team up with us and hundreds of your fellow Minnesotans to better understand its distribution in Minnesota.
What You'll Do
You will meet at a local training site hosted by one of our local partners where you will receive a brief training on how to identify starry stonewort and other target aquatic invasive species and how to follow the search protocols. Groups are then sent out to nearby priority lakes to follow the protocols and bring back any suspicious organisms. Starry Trek is a free event and no experience or special equipment is required. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
How You'll Make a Difference
Starry Trek volunteers have discovered new populations of starry stonewort. Follow-up surveys by Minnesota DNR specialists confirmed these new findings in Lake Carnelian (Stearns County, 2020), Wolf Lake (Hubbard County, 2018) Lake Beltrami (Beltrami County, 2018) and Grand Lake (Stearns County, 2017). As a result of the Grand Lake discovery, the local lake association and MN DNR teamed up in a rapid response plan to remove the small patch of starry stonewort. Other notable finds by Starry Trek participants include the discovery of a new populations of Eurasian watermilfoil in Winona County (2017) and Aitkin County (2019) and a new zebra mussel population in Dakota County (2018). Over 200 Minnesotans have joined in this effort and searched over 200 public water accesses each year since our inaugural event in 2017.
Background
Starry Trek is organized by the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center and University of Minnesota Extension in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Funding for Starry Trek is provided in part by the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. Starry Trek is held in coordination with AIS Snapshot Day, an aquatic invasive species search event held in Wisconsin on the same day hosted by the River Alliance of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin Extension, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Recap: Starry Trek 2025
Thank you for participating in Starry Trek on August 9th!
Minnesotans got a preview to a portion of our results with MN DNR’s recent press release announcing the confirmation of four new populations of starry stonewort as a result of Starry Trek. We’ve been working hard to process all the remaining data for this event and have full results available for you below. Each year, we take the time to track down the final ID on every report local coordinators send in so that you get some closure on what actually happened at your sites.
Before we get to the results, we’d like to share a HUGE thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in Starry Trek. Your efforts are an important part to early detection of aquatic invasive species in Minnesota and getting a better understanding of their distribution. This year, despite the weather, there were 162 people joining in across the state! Together, all of you searched a total of 249 public accesses on 210 water bodies across Minnesota. You can view a full summary of Starry Trek efforts from our start in 2017 to present on our Starry Trek Results Map.
We also need to share our thanks with all our local partners who contribute their time and energy into each of the local training sites across the state. We simply would not be able to see this kind of effort without them. Please join us in thanking the following agencies and organizations for offering to host Starry Trek sites this year: Lake of the Woods SWCD, Lake County SWCD, Beltrami Environmental Services, Itasca SWCD AIS Program, Hubbard County Environmental Services, Becker SWCD, Aitkin County SWCD, Crow Wing County, Douglas County Land and Resource Management, Big Stone County 4-H, La Qui Parle SWCD, Stearns County COLA, Meeker County, Sherburne SWCD, Wright SWCD, Ramsey County, Dakota County SWCD, Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District, Wild Rivers Conservancy, Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, and Carver County.
As you learned in the DNR press release, starry stonewort was found in the following four lakes by volunteers participating in Starry Trek:
We understand that it can be upsetting to see so many new infestations announced at once. As more information about the scope of these infestations comes in, it will give management organizations and other stakeholders the opportunity to consider potential response strategies. Early detection, made possible by volunteers like you, has enabled highly effective management of starry stonewort, including in Grand Lake and Carnelian Lake (both in Stearns Co., discovered by Starry Trek volunteers in 2017 and 2020, respectively). Learn more about starry stonewort biology, prevention, and management in the recording of a recent webinar we hosted here.
In addition to the discovery of starry stonewort during this year’s event, volunteers reported two new populations of Eurasian watermilfoil in Dakota County in Schultz Lake and Lake Simley. These two waterbodies will be added to MN DNR’s infested waters list. Each year we also get several new reports of Chinese and banded mystery snails that are not yet in the EDDMapS database (a nationwide invasive species reporting system). Not all of these are previously unknown populations, however many of these helped update the database, which is used by DNR and many other agencies to track populations of invasive species, so their discovery and reporting is still important and beneficial. This year we asked for some additional special attention be paid to these species so that we can improve our distribution maps for these species in Minnesota. And some are likely the first time that species has been reported in that water body as well! Banded mystery snails were reported at Louise Lake in Douglas County and new reports of Chinese mystery snails by Starry Trek volunteers were made for the following water bodies:
Below, you will find a list of the remaining samples that were passed on to MN DNR for verification or identification and the final determination. The below results were either determined to be native species, or were invasive species that were already known to be present in that water body. Locations are listed by the local training site they were returned to. If there was a specimen you were particularly interested in at your site and you don't see it listed here, feel free to reach out and we’ll see if we can help get to the bottom of it!
ALEXANDRIA (Local Host: Douglas County Land and Resource Management)
Snail samples from Lake Le Homme Dieu were likely to be Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
Snail samples from Lake Geneva were likely to be Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
AKELEY (Local Host: Hubbard County Environmental Services)
Snail samples from Big Bass Lake were likely to be Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
EAGAN (Local Host: Dakota County SWCD)
Plant samples from Blackhawk Lake were likely Eurasian or hybrid watermilfoil, which has previously been reported in that lake
Plant samples from Cobblestone Lake were likely Eurasian watermilfoil, which has previously been reported in that lake
Plant samples from Thompson Lake were likely Eurasian watermilfoil, which has previously been reported in that lake
Snail samples from Jensen Lake were likely Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
Snail samples from Rogers Lake were likely Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
Snail samples from Crystal Lake were likely Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
COLD SPRING (Local Host: Stearns Co COLA)
Plant samples from North Browns lake were identified as Chara, a native species in Minnesota
Plant samples from Lake Ochotto were identified as Northern watermilfoil, a native species in Minnesota
Plant samples from Lower Spunk lake were likely Eurasian or hybrid watermilfoil, which has previously been reported in that lake
Snails reported in Pearl Lake were likely Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
BRAINERD (Local host: Crow Wing County)
Plant samples from Pelican lake were identified as Chara and a pondweed (like sago pondweed), both native species to Minnesota
Plant samples from Rice Lake were identified as coontail, a native species to Minnesota
Plant samples from Round Lake were identified as clasping-leaf pondweed, a native species to Minnesota
Media
- Join the ‘trek’ every day, (Aikin Independant Age)
- Starry stonewort spreads concern in Minnesota lake country, (KAXE/KBXE)
- Monitor Minnesota waters for invasive starry stonewort in Aug. 10 'Starry Trek', (West Central Tribune)
- Beltrami Co. Residents Learn How to Identify AIS at ‘Starry Trek’ Training, (Lakeland PBS)
- 'Starry Trek' event combats invasive algae with statewide search, (Southwest News Media)
- ‘Starry Trek’ Volunteers Wanted to Help Search MN Lakes for AIS, (Lakeland PBS)
- Latest aquatic invasive species prompts call for volunteers, (Brainerd Dispatch)