Looking Back on Lakes Appreciation Month 2019


As it does every year, we blink … and Lakes Appreciation Month, celebrated annually in July, is over! With ever-growing threats like climate change, invasive species, growing population, and more … it’s never been a more important time to bring the issues that affect our freshwater resources to the forefront. All life needs water; let’s not take it for granted!

Photo by Alyssa Anderson
Photo by Alyssa Anderson
Photo by Alyssa Anderson
Photo by Alyssa Anderson

Highlights from Lakes Appreciation Month 2019 include:

  • Our members and supporters got the word out for Lakes Appreciation Month by hosting lake shoreline clean-ups, Lake Appreciation community days, and educational Secchi Dip-In events.
  • Our President, Sara Peel, attended the annual Secchi Day Science Fair on Beaver Lake. In its 14th year, this event is an excellent way for the local community to get involved, learn about environmental science, and gather samples from Beaver Lake.
  • Numerous state governments officially declared July 2019 as Lakes Appreciation Month. This year we were excited to share these proclamations via a fun interactive map. Check it out!
  • Introduced last summer, NALMS partnered with Earth Science Laboratories to create a fun, kid-friendly BINGO game to help raise awareness of lakes and the issues they face. An excellent year-round teaching tool! Download your game here!
  • Our friends at Princeton Hydro hosted a social media contest to encourage Lakes Appreciation Month participation!
  • The Secchi Dip-In enjoyed steady participation this year and received water quality measurements and Secchi disk depths via our members, volunteer monitoring programs, and citizen scientists from around the globe. As many of you are likely aware, the 2019 Secchi Dip-In was in a year of transition. We are excited to roll out our new database next summer, and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding this year!
  • This summer, the Secchi Dip-In program was very lucky to share an intern with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Kate Wettergreen (introduced in the May/June issue of NALMS Notes) was an invaluable asset to our team this summer and we truly appreciate all of her hard work!
  • Events, photos, videos, and stories were shared across numerous social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can check out what was posted by searching our hashtag (#LakesAppreciation) on any of the three platforms mentioned above.

 

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

A huge thank you to our sponsors – LaMotte Company and SOLitude Lake Management – for your support and commitment to clean and healthy lakes! Sponsorship opportunities for Lakes Appreciation Month 2020 will roll out in the spring.

We’d also like to thank our members, supporters, Secchi Dip-In participants, volunteer lake monitoring programs, and citizen scientists for submitting your water quality data, writing your government leaders for proclamations, organizing or attending events, posting your photos on social media, and letting your appreciation for lakes be heard. Let’s all live like it’s Lakes Appreciation Month year-round!