RevitalizAtion of Shoreland Vegetation Project (RSVP)

The Revitalization of Shoreland Vegetation Project (RSVP) is dedicated to the preservation or restoration of native trees, shrubs, grasses or wetland plants along the shore of Big Green Lake.

Healthy diverse native vegetation buffers along a shore has many benefits:

1. It improves water quality by reducing shoreline erosion, increasing infiltration of runoff, and reducing or eliminating the need for fertilizer and pesticide applications.
   
2. It enhances enjoyment of lakeside property by diminishing the noise of motorboats and personal watercraft, by breaking cold winter winds, and by increasing privacy, through screening unsightly views and framing good ones.
   
3. It provides essential breeding grounds, food sources, and cover at critical life stages for many reptiles, fishes, and other species.
   
4. It creates a travel corridor for many species of birds and small mammals.
   
5. It encourages a sustainable, diverse ecosystem.

Workshops and forums will teach the principles and practices of RSVP. In addition, core neighborhood groups will initiate contact with property owners and provide information about the project. The public will be invited to visit demonstration properties that showcase preserved shoreland vegetation, as well as properties that are allowing natural recovery or encouraging accelerated recovery of native habitat.  View RSVP certified businesses

Property owners can enhance the native vegetation on their shores in the following ways:

Preserving the existing vegetation.

1. Allowing the natural recovery of the native species by reducing or eliminating the amount of cleared, mowed, shoreland.
   
2. Accelerating natural recovery by introducing more mature plants, shrubs, and trees to the shoreland.

WHAT PLANTS ARE NATIVE TO GREEN LAKE COUNTY?

Wondering what plants you can expect to see within native restoration projects? Or perhaps you want to use native plantings in your yard? Green Lake County native species can help you choose which plants are right for you. It is complied by Lisa J. Reas and based on A Vascular Flora of Green Lake County, Wisconsin, by Thomas L. Eddy.  (1996.  Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters 84:23-67.) The plant list is divided into:

• Herbaceous Flowers
• Groundcovers/Forbs
• Ferns and Fern Allies
• Grasses and Sedges
• Shrubs, Trees and Vines

RSVP partners include the Green Lake Sanitary District, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources,
local biologists, and educators.