Burrowing mayflies are a key water quality indicator on the Mississippi River, supplying trillions of calories to fish, birds, and other wildlife. Recent observations (weather radar, benthic invertebrate surveys, public reports) are showing substantial mayfly population decline over the past 15–20 years, coinciding with shifts in river flow, habitat, and pesticide use. Recent Wisconsin water samples frequently exceed acute and chronic benchmarks for the neonicotinoids clothianidin and imidacloprid and contain complex mixtures of pesticides. Sediment sampling also reveals diverse pesticide mixtures and elevated concentrations of the synthetic pyrethroid bifenthrin, with some Mississippi River sediments exceeding 10-day lethal concentration benchmarks for lab organisms. Mayfly tissues now contain similar pesticide mixtures. The Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee recently listed imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and bifenthrin among its top contaminants of concern.
Shawn Giblin is the Mississippi River Water Quality Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. A Brice Prairie native, he developed a deep connection to the Mississippi River through early years spent hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, camping, and canoeing on the river. Before joining the Wisconsin DNR in 2006, Shawn worked with the University of Wisconsin–Center for Limnology, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Colorado State University’s Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands. His research focuses on channel connectivity and its influence on water quality, drivers of water clarity, ecological thresholds affecting free-floating plants and algae, interactions among water quality, fish and wildlife populations, pesticides and emerging contaminants, and climate change adaptation.
Shawn lives in rural West Salem with his family. When he’s not in the field, he enjoys hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, camping, and canoeing.
Last Week: Sarah Arendt-Beyer, AI Tips for Work and Home
Whether you're an AI pro or are curious about getting started, during this meeting you’ll learn some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of AI technology.
Sarah Arendt-Beyer, a member and past president of the Rotary Club of La Crosse-Downtown, is passionate about using emerging AI technologies in her professional capacity as Marketing Communications Manager for Nortek Air Solutions, and as a consultant with the Small Business Development Center at UW La Crosse. Sarah also avidly uses AI in her personal life - for productivity, personal development, and just for fun!
Passe Repeats as Winner: Congratulations to Nick Passe as he repeats as champion of the Rotary Fantasy Football League, and is a three-time winner! Nick defeated Al Louis for bragging rights, and the right to direct where the scholarship funds go.
Scholarship Named in Memory of David Johnston: Nick has selected La Crosse Central High School to receive the $500 for a student scholarship. Last year’s recipient, Celeste Mrozek, is attending the University of Minnesota. The scholarship is funded by the twelve participants in the league. Rotarian David Johnston was a participant in this league, and David passed away in November. David had served as assistant superintendent of the La Crosse School District for twenty-two years, and, after un-retiring, served as superintendent of the Viroqua School District for five years. A suggestion was made to name the scholarship in memory of David, and therefore the scholarship will be given as the “Rotary Club of La Crosse Fantasy Football League’s David Johnston Memorial Scholarship”.
Want to participate? The Rotary Fantasy Football League has twelve participants. Vacancies are filled on first come, first served basis. With David’s passing there will be at least one spot open in the league for the 2026 season. League participants are given the option to continue from year to year. The cost is $42 per person, to fund the scholarship. We have a draft/happy hour before the season, and use the ESPN Fantasy Football website to manage the league. If you would like to participate for league bragging rights, and directing a scholarship, contact league commissioner, Craig Ubbelohde or catch him at a meeting.
Condolences
You may remember that after Covid subsided, Craig Ubbelohde made two people Paul Harris Fellows. One was John Sauer. John attended that Rotary meeting virtually. Sadly, the world lost a great light recently with the passing of John. John was a La Crosse native, and a graduate of Aquinas and UWL. CLICK HERE for John's obituary.
New Member Proposal
The following community member has been proposed to become a member of our club:
Leah Tanke, School Counselor at La Crescent School District, proposed by Steve Tanke.
According to club procedure, applicant names are to be published in our weekly email bulletin for two weeks. If there are no objections from the current membership, these applications will be approved. Please contact the Club Administrator if you object to these applications by January 27th.
Ravishankar and Paola Dakoju of the Rotary Club of Bangalore, Karnataka, India once dreamt of a time when they would have enough to return 85% of their wealth back to society. Sharing this dream to Rotarians in Florida, at the International Assembly on January 13, Dakoju revealed, “My friends, that day has arrived.”
Ravishankar announced he and Paola would donate approximately US$50 million (4.5 billion Indian rupees) to The Rotary Foundation. Dakoju told assembly attendees how his life experiences led him to commit to philanthropy. He described how his father, who had donated all of the family’s land to poor farmers, died suddenly when Dakoju was age 10. Dakoju recalled how he, his mother, and his six siblings were left with less than US$2 in the bank. He said he failed in school and misbehaved, even leading a street gang, before he earned a college degree and eventually co-founded Hara Housing & Land Development Ltd.
Now it’s one of the leading land developers in Bangalore. Dakoju was impressed by Rotary’s values of fellowship and service, and as his business grew, they supported The Rotary Foundation. In 2018, they committed to donating approximately US$14.7 million (1.3 billion Indian rupees) to the Foundation. It was one of the largest contributions in the Foundation’s history. “Whatever I have achieved so far came from the kindness of people, the grace of life, and the opportunities Rotary brought into my world,” Dakoju said at the assembly. “Rotary gave me new life, new purpose, new friendship, new meaning, and a global family,” he said. “And life has taught me this beautiful truth: When you give more than you think you can, life returns to you more than you can ever imagine.”
