Lake Appreciation Month

July is Lake Appreciation Month, which was started through the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) in an effort to promote gratitude and protection of lakes. This movement can be celebrated in many different ways, and here at the Pigeon Lake Watershed Association this opportunity is taken to promote some of our programs that help monitor lake health, such as our Secchi Dip-In program. If you have a boat, then you can join this effort, by taking 5 mins when you are next out on the lake to record a water clarity observation. To understand the importance of lake science you can get more information with this pamphlet from the Government of Alberta, which emphasizes why this type of work is needed now and in the future for long-term benefits to the lake.

Appreciating the lake can include sitting and admiring the lake from the shoreline, enjoying a recreational activity in the water, joining community science monitoring efforts, or through educating yourself about proper use and management of natural resources and shoreline habitats. As always using eBird or iNaturalist are also good ways to promote lake appreciation and record the biodiversity that can be found in your time at the lake. It is a fine balance between use and protection of natural spaces such as lakes, and so it is important we know the results of our actions and how we co-exist with the lake in a positive way.

You can join in any of various events and efforts happening this month to appreciate the lake we live by, make sure to look at our social media to keep updated about ideas, or programs we are running this month! If you have the time it is also useful to familiarize yourself with how you can help including recognizing invasives or unhealthy lake observations and protecting shoreline property with vegetation. These actions show stewardship and environmental responsibility  being taken seriously in our communities.