The Ballad of Aquatic Invasive Species
By Scott Gatzke
University of Wisconsin Extension
Listen to this song
Description: This folk song reminds listeners about the importance of cleaning boats when
moving them between bodies of water to keep Wisconsin's waters pure and clean.
Friends I am a boater, and like you I love our lakes
I’ve been hearing about these aquatic, invaders in our state?
Non-native plants and animals, threaten waters far and wide.
They’d love to sneak their way into a lake they’ve never tried
And once they’re in the water, there’s no turning back the clock
So to keep them all from spreading, is the only chance we’ve got
Now each time I go boating, I hum this simple tune.
And before I leave the landing, here’s a few things that I do
Chorus 1:
Inspect my boat...remove all plants, mud and critters
Drain my bilge...and my live wells and motors
Toss my bait...that I don’t want in the trash
When I roll back home I rinse my boat, or just let it dry naturally
And these simple steps will keep Wisconsin waters pure and clean
Chorus 2:
Inspect your boat...remove all plants, mud and critters
Drain your bilge...and your live wells and motors
Toss your bait...that you don’t want in the trash
When you roll back home just rinse your boat, or let it dry naturally
And together we will keep Wisconsin waters pure and clean
”This message is brought to you by the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership and the University of
Wisconsin Extension.”
© Scott Gatzke 2009