Stephanie Thornton displaying equipment used to collect cyanobacteria samples from lakes.
Photos: Courtesy
On Thursday, May 28, learn how to help protect the southern Maine region’s lakes and watersheds.
Shoreline or watershed property owners, leaders or members of lake associations, river or watershed organizations or conservation groups and anyone that has interests in water-related recreation will find something useful or of interest at the Southern Maine Lake & Watershed Stewardship Expo. The event will be held on May 28, from 10 am to 1 pm, at Acton Congregational Church, 59 H Road, in Acton.
Many people are already active stewards of waterbodies or watersheds in York County or the southern Maine region. The expo event will provide veterans, “newbie” volunteer stewards, and others with important information regarding monitoring or stewardship activity or adding something to monitoring activities already being done to protect favorite waterbodies or watersheds.
Information about stewardship programs that provide volunteer training, support, or services will be presented at display tables by a variety of stewardship and related organizations. There will also be information about upcoming training events in the York County region.
Christine Guerette of Lake Stewards of Maine (LSM) provides samples of aquatic plants.
Displays at the Expo will include:
- York County Soil & Water Conservation District (YCSWCD), stream table or watershed Enviroscape model
- Lake Stewards of Maine (LSM), volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program
- Lake Stewards of Maine (LSM), volunteer Invasive (aquatic) Plant Patrol (IPP) program
- ME Dept. of Environmental Protection (MDEP), Courtesy Boat Inspection (CBI) program and Clean-Drain-Dry invasive aquatic species spread prevention initiative
- Maine Lakes, LakeSmart Program
- Stephanie Thornton, a Lovell Lake Assoc. & AWWA volunteer, provides information about recognizing cyanobacteria “blooms” and reporting possible “blooms”.
- NH Lakes Assoc. (NHLA) and CD3, demonstration of CD3 boat cleaning unit (trailered, solar powered, waterless)
- Acton-Shapleigh Youth Conservation Corps (ASYCC) and Acton-Wakefield Watersheds Alliance (AWWA) shoreland erosion/stormwater run-off control & mitigation programs.
Most of the information stations, or display tables, will be indoors. The CD3 unit demonstration and the stream table or Enviroscape model will be outdoors. Program staff and volunteers at each of the stations will provide attendees with information about their stewardship programs, and some will provide brief “hands-on” activities.
The event is free and open to the public. Basic refreshments (beverages and snacks) will be provided. If desired, participants can bring a bag lunch. The Stewardship Expo is hosted by the Alliance for Watershed Stewardship in Southern Maine (AWSSM). AWSSM is a newly formed collaborative entity comprised of lake associations and other conservation-focused organizations.
For more information, email Laurie Callahan, York County Invasive Aquatic Species Project (YCIASP), Coordinator: yciasp@hotmail.com.
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