Lake Stewards of Maine’s 50th Anniversary newsletter, The Water Column is now available online. There is lots of interesting reading in this 48 page Issue, something for everyone. I particularly liked “Seven Ways To Monitor and Document the Effects of Climate Change on Your Lake” by Scott Williams, on page 9, and “BloomWatch: Harnessing the Power of Citizen Science Through Collaborative Monitoring of Cyanobacteria Blooms” by Tristan Taber, on page 15. I also really enjoyed “A Day in the Life of an IPPer” by Debbie Broderick from Lake Arrowhead. With a little luck we’ll be getting started with our own Invasive Plant Patrol program here on Clary Lake this year. The Clary Lake Association has been a participating member in the Lake Stewards of Maine’s Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program since 1975 making Clary Lake the 3rd longest monitored lake in the state. Currently, our volunteer lake monitors are George Fergusson and Kelsie French and we try to collect data every 2 weeks during the boating season- typically from sometime in April until late October or early November.

Here’s a link to the newsletter. Enjoy!

• The 2021 Water Column Newsletter

I will post updates as new webinars are announced.

Please Join Us for our Summer Webinar Series:         In lieu of our Annual Lake Monitoring Conference, Lake Stewards of Maine – Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program will be hosting a series of weekly informational webinars from June through August on a wide range of topics pertaining to Maine Lakes. The sessions will be approximately one hour in length, and will include an opportunity for Q&A for those who attend the live webinars on the posted calendar date. Pre-registration is required for all who plan to attend. The webinars are open to Maine’s citizen lake scientists, as well as the general public.   The live webinars will take place at 4PM on Friday afternoons, beginning on June 5, and will go through August 28, with the exception of the holiday weekend of July 3.  All sessions will be recorded, and made available for future viewing on our website.   The complete season of webinar topics and speakers will be announced soon. Information on our first webinar presentation is listed below:   The Crown Jewel Lakes of Central Maine, and the Threats They Face   Presented by Matt Scott and Lloyd Irland; airing Friday, June 5 at 4pm   ~ register here ~   Maine is fortunate to have some of the clearest and cleanest lakes in the nation, several thousand of which are in public domain. However, all our lakes are vulnerable in varying degrees to a growing number of anthropogenic-based threats. We are part of the problem, and we have the ability to be the solution, as well. Matt Scott and Lloyd Irland share their experience and perspective on where we are, how we got here, and what can be done to ensure that our lakes will remain healthy for the enjoyment of future generations.   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~   Matt Scott is the founding father of Maine’s “Lakes Program”. He was the first biologist hired through Maine DEP in the early 1970’s, at which time he established a lake-focused research and protection unit that soon gained widespread recognition and respect. Matt was the driving force behind the formation of the first statewide citizen lake monitoring program, which continues to this day as Lake Stewards of Maine (formerly Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program). He currently lives in Belgrade.   Lloyd Irland has served in Maine state and local government, as a consultant, and is an author writing on a range of topics concerning Maine’s natural resources. He has recently advanced the research regarding changes in the phenology of ice cover on Maine lakes. Lloyd is currently writing a book on Maine’s wildland rivers, and lives on a tributary to Androscoggin Lake in Wayne.   Lindsay Papa will be a senior at Colby College next year, and is currently a summer intern with Lloyd Irland. She has assembled much of the data used in this presentation. ___________________________________________   Our next webinar will be:   The Influence of A Warming Climate on Aquatic Invaders in Maine Lakes   Presented by Roberta Hill, LSM Invasive Aquatic Species Director and Aquatic Ecologist; airing Friday, June 12 at 4pm    Maine lakes have historically been protected to some degree by a relatively cool climate. Many species of invasive flora and fauna that have successfully infested lakes throughout much of the US have failed to gain a foothold in Maine, in part due to our long, cold winters, and cool water temperatures. Our warming climate is changing this. Roberta Hill will provide an overview of the effects of climate change upon Maine lakes, and discuss the implications for Maine’s native lake communities.   ~ register here ~   Roberta is an aquatic ecologist and environmental educator. She has been active in the field of lake protection and community outreach in Maine for thirty years and has been instrumental in the creation and development of some of Maine’s most successful and long-standing lake education programs. Currently the Invasive Species Program Director for Lake Stewards of Maine, Roberta is the originator and coordinator of LSM’s internationally recognized Invasive Plant Patrol (IPP) program, through which close to 5,000 individuals (volunteers, professionals, agency personnel, students, teachers and others) have been trained to screen Maine waterbodies for the presence of invasive aquatic plants. Roberta is the principal author of the Maine Field Guide to Invasive Aquatic Plants and co-author of Citizens’ Guide to Invasive Aquatic Plant Management. _____________________________   Thank you, and we hope you can join us for Fridays at 4 for Lakes!