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 30 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 2024
Thank you for participating in Starry Trek on August 10th! 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 there were 194 people joining in across the state! But in even bigger news, because of your efforts, the highest number of water bodies and public accesses were searched since we launched Starry Trek in 2017! Ultimately you and other participants searched a total of 297 public accesses on 252 water bodies across Minnesota. You can view a full summary of Starry Trek efforts from 2017- 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: Ramsey County, Becker SWCD, Sherburne SWCD, Dakota County SWCD, Douglas County Land and Resource Management, Aitkin County SWCD, Stearns County COLA, Big Stone County 4-H, Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District, Lake of the Woods SWCD, Wild Rivers Conservancy, Lake County SWCD, La Qui Parle SWCD, UMN Extension, MAISRC Graduate Fellows, Cass County AIS Program, Hubbard County Environmental Services, Itasca SWCD AIS Program, Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, Carver County, Lake MinnieBelle Improvement Association, and Kanabec SWCD.
No new starry stonewort discoveries were made during Starry Trek this year. There were some other new reports for AIS that came out of Starry Trek this year though including:
A live freshwater golden clam in Sherburne County. Freshwater golden clams are a prohibited invasive species in Minnesota and while they have been present in some Minnesota river systems since the 1980s where output from power plants, wastewater treatment plants, or other industrial water users create artificially warm plums throughout the winter months, less is known about what their presence in inland lakes in Minnesota could mean. This is the third inland lake in Minnesota with live freshwater golden clams reported (all three are in Sherburne County and all three were discovered during Starry Trek, including the first report in Briggs Lake in 2020)
A new report of yellow iris in Blue Earth County. Reports of this species in the later summer months are less common because the obvious yellow blooms are no longer visible, but if you’d like to learn the trick to identifying this plant even when not in flower, we have a video resource that explains some other identifying features.
There were three new reports of curly-leaf pondweed this year.
And finally, 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!
Below, you will find a list of samples that were passed on to MN DNR for verification or identification and the final determination. 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! You can click the links below to view the report for new AIS reports or to learn more about the native species submitted.
BIG LAKE (Local Host: Sherburne SWCD)
Plant samples from Birch Lake were determined to be curly-leaf pondweed, which has previously been reported at this lake
Snail samples from Eagle Lake were determined to be banded mystery snails, a new report for this lake
Clams collected from Eagle Lake were determined to be freshwater golden clams, a new report for this lake
EDEN PRAIRIE (Local Host: Nine Mile Creek Watershed District)
Plant samples from Lake Cornelia were determined to be either native Chara spp. or Nitellla spp., both native aquatic plants
Plant samples from Shady Oak Lake were determined to be either native Chara spp. or Nitellla spp., both native aquatic plants
Plant samples from Lake Ann were determined to be either native Chara spp. or Nitellla spp., both native aquatic plants
Plant samples from Red Rock Lake were determined to be native Chara spp., a group of native aquatic plants
Plant samples from Hyland Lake were determined to be native Chara spp., a group of native aquatic plants
Snail samples from Hyland Lake were likely Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
Plant samples from Round Lake were determined to be native Nitellla spp., a group of native aquatic plants
The snails recovered from Lake Mitchell were determined to be banded mystery snails, a new report for this lake.
The plant samples recovered from Lake Mitchell were determined to be Eurasian and/or hybrid watermilfoil, which have been previously reported in this lake.
ALEXANDRIA (Local Host: Douglas County Land and Resource Management)
Snail samples from Lake Latoka were determined to be Chinese mystery snails, a new report for this lake.
MAPLEWOOD (Local Host: Ramsey County)
Snail samples from Bald Eagle Lake were determined to be banded mystery snails, a new report for this lake
Plant samples from Island Lake were determined to be curly-leaf pondweed, a new report for this lake
NORTH BRANCH (Local Host: Wild Rivers Conservancy)
Snail samples from East Rush Lake were determined to be banded mystery snails, a new report for this lake
Snail samples from North Center Lake were likely Chinese mystery snails, due to the known presence of this species in South Center Lake.
Snail samples from Little Lake were determined to be Chinese mystery snails & banded mystery snails, both are new reports for this lake (report 1, report 2)
Snail samples from South Lindstrom Lake were likely Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
Plant samples from North Center Lake were likely Eurasian watermilfoil, which has previously been reported in that lake
PARK RAPIDS (Local Host: Hubbard County Environmental Services)
Snail samples from 6th Crow Wing Lake were determined to be Chinese mystery snails, a new report for this lake
Snail samples from Eagle Lake were determined to be Chinese mystery snails, a new report for this lake
Snail samples from Lake Emma were likely to be Chinese mystery snails, a new report for this lake
Snail samples from 3rd Crow Wing Lake were determined to be faucet snails and Chinese mystery snails, both of which have previously been reported on this lake.
EAGAN (Local Host: Dakota County)
Plant samples from Schulze Lake Lake were likely Eurasian or hybrid watermilfoil, which has previously been reported in that lake
Snail samples from Fish Lake were likely banded mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
Snail samples from Crystal Lake were likely banded mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
Algae reports from Lake Lac Lavon were not able to be identified via photographs, but the reviewer indicated that it was extremely unlikely to be didymo due to the known water and substrate conditions in the lake
HACKENSACK (Local Host: Cass County)
Snail samples from Little Sand Lake were likely Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
Snail samples from Big Sand Lake were likely Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
Snail samples from Mule Lake were likely banded mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
Clam samples from Blackwater Lake were native pea or fingernail clams.
ST JAMES (Local Host: UMN Extension)
Plant samples from Long Lake were determined to be curly-leaf pondweed, both of which have previously been reported at this lake
Plant samples from Mills Lake were determined to be curly-leaf pondweed, a new report for this lake
Plant samples from Crystal Lake were determined to be yellow iris, a new report for this lake.
MARCELL (Local Host: Itasca County)
Snail samples from Little Bowstring Lake were determined to be banded mystery snails, a new report for this lake
Snail samples from Round Lake were likely Chinese mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
Snail samples from Island Lake were likely banded mystery snails, which have previously been reported in that lake
LITCHFIELD (Local Host: Lake MinnieBelle Improvement District)
Plant samples from Little Wolf Lake were determined to be curly-leaf pondweed, a new report for this lake
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)