Argentia, Ma-Me-O, and Mission Beach Update

Save the Date

July 4: Trail Appreciation Event @ The Grave’s Wildlife Sanctuary Trail (Summer Village of Argentia Beach), 1:00-3:00pm

July 25: PLWA Annual General Meeting @ The Ma-Me-O Beach Community Hall, 9:00-11:30am

August 8: Love the Lake Family Fun Day @ The Pigeon Lake Provincial Park Day Use Area, 10:00am-3:00pm

August 15: Watershed Discovery Dash @ Watershed Wide, timing TBD

Lake Appreciation Month Events

Photo Contest: From July 1-31, community members can submit their best photo for each of our three categories - Lake, Land, and Sky - showcasing the beauty and enjoyment of Pigeon Lake for a chance to win prizes and prestige. The contest is open to all skill levels, whether you are using a professional camera or a smartphone. Our grand prize includes a set of handmade mugs from local artist, Margot Soltice, from Barnswallow Corner Studio.

Fundraisers: We have partnered with local businesses to raise money to support lake stewardship efforts at Pigeon Lake.

  • The Crafty Unicorn - From now through July 31 you can purchase a variety of paintable figures including gnomes, fairy houses, and plant pots. 50% of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to the PLWA, making this a great opportunity to support a local business and lake stewardship with just one purchase! Information and order forms are available here.

  • The Village Emporium - Counter top donation boxes are located at each checkout station, and customers are encouraged to drop in their change to support the PLWA and our efforts to promote a healthy lake, healthy watershed, healthy community.

Programming

Clean-ups: PLWA and our volunteers spent some time this spring cleaning up various part of the watershed!

  • Rain Garden Cleanup - On May 23, PLWA staff set out to do a spring cleanup of our rain gardens at Ma-Me-O Beach and Mission Beach. We removed nine bags of leaves and debris from the garden at Ma-Me-O, and 11 bags of leaves and debris from the garden at Mission Beach.

  • Shoreline Cleanup - We celebrated World Environment Day with a shoreline cleanup on June 5. A group of 16 volunteers and staff came together to clear over 350 pieces of debris from 2km of shoreline in the Summer Village of Ma-Me-O Beach. The data compiled and submitted to OceanWise, contributing to their national shoreline cleanup database. Special thanks to Peggy Juchli for sorting and counting all of the litter that was collected!

Women’s Walk: We partnered with Argentia Beach Sports & Rec. to host a guided walk of the Grave’s Wildlife Sanctuary Trail on June 30. The walk was led by Delena Rose, of Red Feather Smooth Stone, who shared about the benefits that wild and native plants can have on the environment as well as the mind, body, and soul. This event was very well received and we are already looking into opportunities for similar events in the future, so stay tuned!

Libraries Love Lakes: We have partnered with the Pigeon Lake Library to engage the community in the Libraries Love Lakes program! We will have a colouring contest for kids, environment themed book displays, and a question & response board that features a new question each week! PLWA will also be sharing children’s programming at the library every Thursday afternoon from July 9 through August 13, starting at 1:30pm.

Children’s Programming: We are excited to be facilitating learning and activities for children at various camps and day programs throughout the watershed! In addition to our weekly programming at the public library, we will also be sharing our programs at Argentia Beach Kidz Kamp, sailing and swimming lessons, and the Ma-Me-O Beach park program!

Science & Monitoring

Monitoring Buoy: Thanks to our colleagues at Alberta Environment & Protected Areas, the Pigeon Lake Monitoring Buoy has been deployed for another season of continuous water quality monitoring! Information about the buoy, as well as the link to the live data site, is available here.

Satellite Monitoring Project: After three years of work, the Satellite Monitoring Project has now come to a close. With the research and development portion of this initiative complete, the algal bloom tracker app is live! It officially launched to the public on June 23. You can check it out now by visiting algalbloomtracker.ca 

eDNA Sampling: We are excited to share that the PLWA will be partnering with the U of A’s Hannington Lab on an eDNA study! Our team will collect water samples and filter them to capture environmental DNA (or eDNA). eDNA is the genetic material that living things leave behind in their environment. By collecting and analyzing these samples, we can learn more about what organisms make up our aquatic community!

Community Science: In addition to the science work conducted by PLWA and our partners, we also have lots of ways in which you can get involved in monitoring our lake and watershed! We have 3 initiatives that are looking for volunteers. All you have to do is submit observations whenever it fits into your schedule!

  • Mussel Monitors - Help to monitor our lake for invasive zebra and quagga mussels. All you have to do is hang one of our substrates off of your dock. The best part is, you only have to submit your observations once per month!

  • LakeObservers - Help to monitor changes to our watershed over time, by simply telling us what you see (or in some cases, don’t see). The best part can be done from anywhere, at any time! Just download the Lake Observer app today to get started!

  • Secchi Dip-in - Helps to monitor our water clarity. Any time you’re out on the boat, kayak, or canoe, just drop your secchi disk into the water to take a measurement, and submit through the LakeObserver app!