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ALPENA, Mich. — The Thunder Bay River Center needs your help preventing Duck Park waters from being overrun by two invasive species.

European frogbit and Cattail are two invasive plant species taking over the Duck Park ecosystem. The Thunder Bay River center first found the frogbit coming from Fletcher Pond in 2012 and has been battling the plant ever since.

“Frogbit itself we discovered in 2012,” said Judy Kalmanek, the secretary for Thunder Bay River Center. “And we’ve been fighting it ever since.”

If left unchecked, a large portion of the fish habitats in Duck Park could be ruined. The plant creates dense mats that block sunlight from reaching the macroinvertibrates that so many fish feed on.

“It creates these dense mats, and this in turn smothers habitat for the fish,” Kalmanek said. “If the macroinvertibrates die, then the frogbit has won and we lose our fish.”

While European frogbit and cattail are two independent species- they help each other grow. Frogbit does not root itself in the ground underwater, it wraps around the cattail and both are able to survive and grow. The mats created by the frogbit also make it difficult to paddle a kayak, Kalmanek said. The main issue with cattail is that it creates a monoculture.

“The cattails have taken over and created a monoculture,” Kalmanek told WBKB. “So if we let it go, it will keep going, and eventually the entire sanctuary could be covered with cattail.”

On June 25, 2021, the Thunder Bay River Center will be pulling frogbit and cattail out of the Duck Park waters from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and need volunteers for the project. Volunteers can work the full day, or whichever times best suit their schedule. To sign up, email tbrivercenter@gmail.com.