Zebra Mussels

John Esbjornsson and two students, Jade Guenther and Lucas Anderson, from his environmental science class at Jefferson High School visited the weekly Alexandria Rotary Club meeting at the Broadway Ballroom to talk about zebra mussels.

The students want to spread the word and stop the infestation of the exotic species that has now found its way into the Lake L’Homme Dieu, Lake Carlos and Lake Geneva in Alexandria.

• Zebra mussels are an invasive species that attach to anything hard.
• They are small, about the size of your fingernail.
• Zebra mussels filter lake water producing more weeds and less plankton for fish to eat, decreasing fish populations and size.

Esbjornsson has been a teacher at JHS for 33 years and he said he has discussed zebra mussels in his classes since they invaded the Great Lakes 20 years ago but not this extensively. “We would spend a day on invasive species but last year we decided to spend much more time,” said Esbjornsson. “The students felt it was an important local issue.” The students have taken many steps to educate the public such as speaking to elementary schools and producing literature.