The project was the first one highlighted in the “Wisconsin Great Lakes Restoration Projects Producing Results for People, Communities” publication produced by the Healing Our Waters-Greats Lakes Coalition and provided at the 2013 Great Lakes Restoration Conference.

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Marek’s involvement with Indian Creek began in 2007 with construction work, during which we removed a concrete channel liner, built a retaining wall, and revegetated the area with a variety of native plants and trees. We then worked with MMSD to develop a comprehensive vegetative maintenance plan and a seeding plan. Our stewardship team implemented this plans under several contracts starting in 2008 under MMSD and most recently in 2015-present with the Village of Fox Point. Along with mowing and selective weeding, we’ve conducted several prescribed burns to reduce the cattail population. Cattail was further controlled with the use of selective herbicide treatment through 2018. Invasive species control was expanded in 2018 to include mitigation efforts for cutleaf teasel (Dipsacus laciniatus) and glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula).

Native vegetation cover has become visibly higher and more diverse throughout the project area. Dominant native species include cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), water plantain (Alisma sp.), blue flag iris (Iris versicolor), goldenrod species (Solidago spp.), aster species (Aster spp.) and rush species (Schoenoplectus spp., Scirpus spp.).

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Marek Landscaping’s stewardship team has continued to provide services at the Milwaukee River’s East Bank to further manage and eradicate the invasive species that remain. In February 2021, we facilitated a community buckthorn removal event to help accelerate progress towards those goals and to encourage community involvement. Future work along the East Bank will continue to focus on invasive species management and will include planting of native grasses, sedges, forbs, and trees to enhance existing vegetative communities and wetlands.

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Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium (SEWISC) has been raising funds and awareness for invasive species control since 2007. SEWISC functions as a Cooperative Weed Management Area and promotes invasive species management in an 8-county region including Sheboygan, Washington, Ozaukee, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha.

Marek Landscaping’s involvement with the SEWISC- Wild Chervil Control project began in 2017 in Muskego on a small site needing additional Wild Chervil intervention; a 0.6-acre area just off of N Cape Road. While the past 4 years of our prescribed treatments have dramatically reduced the population of Wild Chervil in the designated area, the neighboring untreated property continues to have an uncontrolled population of Wild Chervil.

Our Wild Chervil mitigation efforts continued in 2018-2020 with our undertaking of five acres along the Hank Aaron Trail to the east of S Hawley Road in Milwaukee, and six more miles along rural roadside to the north, in Cedarburg.

Wild Chervil is best controlled by an herbicide treatment in early to mid-May with a follow up in early June.

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Our work started in 2010 with GIS mapping of invasives species, site features, and butterfly habitat and assisted with developing the land management plan and seed lists with a large group of stakeholders, including Milwaukee County and the UW Milwaukee Field Station. In 2011, we began buckthorn removals and root cutting. In 2012, we began implementing the land management plan and are continuing its implementation in 2013. The goal of these efforts is to protect and expand critical habitat to support the congregation and roosting of migrating Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus).

Work performed in 2012 included control measures targeting Common Buckthorn, Eurasian Honeysuckle and Garlic Mustard in a 2.1 acre Oak Grove stand. Mowings were also performed with follow-up hand cutting to prevent seed set of Cut-leaved Teasel in an area covering over 15 acres. Prevention of seed set of Cut-leaved teasel will facilitate future restoration of the site and prevent the spread of this invasive species into the core Monarch Butterfly Habitat Protection Area. Work was also performed to prepare two prairie establishment sites for seeding in spring of 2013. A native prairie seed mixture including a diverse variety of perennial wildflowers will provide dependable nectar sources for Monarch Butterflies as they gather for their 3,000 mile migration.

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Marek Landscaping provided the design, construction estimates, technical writing for grant applications, wetland/ waterway permitting, and construction. The approach was to use bioengineering techniques for bank and slope stabilization and to replace invasives and non-natives with a diverse native mix. Construction consisted of initial site stabilization and sediment control, tree clearing, grading, river bank stabilization, soil placement, compost blanketing, reseeding, slope interrupter placement, biodegradable turf reinforcement mat placement, hydro mulching (2:1 slopes and steeper), and tree and shrub planting.

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