What is new for Northwoods Drifter in 2026
Walk into the Oneida County Courthouse in Rhinelander this June and you’ll find yourself surrounded by 676 warnings about the creatures threatening our lakes and forests.
These aren’t official government notices. They’re hand-drawn posters created by students from across the Northwoods, each one a vivid lesson in what happens when invasive species crash our ecosystems.
The annual Northwoods Invasive Species Poster Contest, organized by the Oneida County Land and Water Conservation Department, just wrapped its most successful year yet. Students from 15 counties submitted entries for the May 5 judging, with their work now displayed through the end of June—which also happens to be Invasive Species Awareness Month.
“These students are like sponges,” said Stephanie Boismenue, Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for Oneida County. “They absorb all this information and they want to learn what’s really impacting their communities.”
The contest targets fourth through eighth graders, asking them to research an invasive species and create a poster that educates others. This year’s record-breaking submissions stretch from the second floor rotunda back past hearing rooms and offices—a colorful takeover of government space by the next generation of conservationists.
Past years have shown strong participation across grade levels, with fourth and seventh graders typically leading the pack. But 2026’s numbers blew previous contests out of the water, with 38 teachers from counties across northern Wisconsin coordinating student entries.
“Their knowledge from this experience will help provide them with a message they can take home to their family and friends.” — Stephanie Boismenue
That ripple effect matters in the Northwoods, where our 10,000+ lakes and vast forests form the backbone of both our identity and our economy.
This year’s posters tackled some of the most destructive species in Wisconsin waters and woodlands. The parasitic sea lamprey made frequent appearances—and for good reason.
These eel-like creatures latch onto fish with their sucker mouths, rasping through scales to feed on blood and body fluids. A single sea lamprey can kill up to 40 pounds of fish during one feeding period, devastating populations of lake trout, walleye, and other species critical to Northwoods fishing.
Students also zeroed in on the rusty crayfish, an aggressive invader that’s destroyed native underwater habitats across the region. Here’s what makes rusty crayfish particularly nasty:
Other featured species ranged from zebra mussels clogging boat engines to buckthorn crowding out native forest plants.
Invasive species aren’t just an environmental concern in the Northwoods—they’re an economic threat to our way of life.
These invaders cost Wisconsin over $500 million annually in control efforts, lost recreation opportunities, and declining property values. The Northwoods tourism economy generates roughly $1.5 billion yearly, much of it tied to fishing, boating, and pristine lake experiences that invasives directly threaten.
Oneida County alone contains over 1,300 lakes. When rusty crayfish bulldoze through wild rice beds or sea lampreys decimate game fish populations, it hits tackle shops, resorts, and guide services hard.
Prevention through education saves money and ecosystems. The county’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program inspects 50,000+ boats yearly at launch sites, but spreading awareness through the next generation creates lasting change.
Boismenue called 2026 a banner year for the contest, noting that more kids are anxious to gain knowledge about invasives and how they impact daily life in our region.
The contest draws submissions through designated drop-off sites at schools and libraries across the Northwoods, with entries mailed flat to the Rhinelander courthouse to avoid creasing artwork.
Judges spent a full morning examining every poster, evaluating scientific accuracy, creativity, and those memorable slogans that stick with you long after you’ve left the display.
Awards span multiple categories:
Winners were announced following the May judging, but the real victory is broader. These student artists become ambassadors, carrying conservation messages to family fish fries, dock conversations, and weekend cabin trips.
The contest has evolved significantly since its early days over a decade ago, when participation numbered in the hundreds rather than approaching 700.
What started as a local Oneida County initiative has grown into a regional “Northwoods” event, reflecting the reality that invasive species don’t respect county lines. The expanded reach through Vilas, Iron, Forest, and neighboring counties creates a unified front against ecological threats.
Recent county conservation committee meetings have highlighted broader youth engagement in environmental education, with local students winning speaking contests and demonstrating genuine passion for protecting the Northwoods they’re inheriting.
That passion shows in the posters themselves—detailed drawings of sea lamprey fangs, carefully researched facts about habitat destruction, and warnings written in kid-friendly language that somehow hits harder than official DNR bulletins.
The display remains open to the public through the end of June at the Oneida County Courthouse on South Oneida Avenue in Rhinelander. It’s worth a stop next time you’re in town for supplies or hitting the Hodag Park trails.
Because these 676 young artists are doing more than fulfilling a school assignment. They’re learning to protect the lakes where they learn to swim, the forests where they hunt their first deer, and the ecosystem that makes the Northwoods the Northwoods.
And maybe, just maybe, they’ll inspire a few adults to clean their boats between lakes while they’re at it.
Written by
Mike has been coming up or living in the Northwoods since his childhood. He is also an avid outdoorsman, writer and supper club aficionado.
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NewsOneida County’s invasive species poster contest drew a record 676 student entries, turning young Northwoods learners into conservation teachers who spread the word about threats to our lakes and forests.