Weekly News & Updates

Inside This Newsletter

November 11th, 2024

Holiday Party!

I- Water Quality Program

WQ Tech Session

Ice Data Submission

II- Aquatic Invasive Species Program

Webinar Recordings Available

AIS Data due November 15

2024 AIS Screening Forms Available

III-Volunteer Community

IV- Office Hours

Please note that the LSM's office is undergoing some much-needed repair work this week, so things are a bit of a mess! To ensure everyone’s safety and comfort, we’ll be closing the office to visitors during this time. Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon!

Holiday Party

LSM's Holiday Gathering!

🎄RSVP by November 22✨

🌟 🎉 Get ready to jingle and mingle! 🎉 🌟

'Tis the season to share, care, and spread some cheer!

Whip up your favorite potluck dish and join LSM staff and other merry-makers for an evening of delicious food and joyful company. Don't forget your holiday attire and a hearty appetite!

What: Potluck Holiday Party at Lake Stewards of Maine's office

Where: 24 Maple Hill Road, Auburn, Maine 04210

🎄 When: Thursday December 5th, from 3:00 to 7:00 PM 🎄

❄️ Snow Date: Friday, December 6th from 3:00 to 7:00 PM ❄️

RSVP & Potluck Dish Form

Water Quality Program

To learn more about LSM's Water Quality Program, please visit our website.

Water Quality Technical

Check-In Session

Monday, November 25th, 12:30 PM

See you there!

Track Maine's Ice-In Season with LSM!

As autumn shifts to winter across Maine, temperatures drop, morning frost becomes routine, and our lakes begin to glaze with the season’s first ice. This transformation offers a valuable opportunity to contribute to our understanding of Maine’s lake health.

❄️ Why Track Ice Cover?

Ice cover data is crucial for understanding climate change impacts and assessing water quality. It's not just about cold winters; it's about preserving our cultural history and ecological health.

📊 Ice-In Data Submission Form: Help us track ice cover and contribute to the ongoing study of climate change impacts on water quality. Certification is not required, and you don’t need to live on a lake to participate—everyone can help!

🌐 Learn More: Visit our ice-tracking page for general information on ice cover tracking, including methods, history, and the ecological importance of this data to Maine’s lakes.

👉 Get Started Today:

If your lake isn't on the tracking radar yet, we strongly encourage you to start recording ice cover.

Questions? Contact us at stewards@lakestewardsme.org.

Aquatic Invasive Species Program

To learn more about LSM's Aquatic Invasive Species Program, please visit our website.

For any questions related to IPP workshops, registration, or the aquatic invasive species program, please email stewards@lakestewardsme.org.

"Know Your Plants" Webinar's Recordings Available

🌿 "Know Your Milfoils"

🌿 "Know Your Naiads"

AIS Data Due November 15

Invasive Plant Patrollers should submit their 2024 survey data to Lake Stewards of Maine by November 15.

IPPers should submit either paper screening survey data forms to the Lake Stewards of Maine office by mail, or email scanned data to stewards@lakestewardsme.org.

Volunteers may also use Survey123 to enter their season's data. An introductory webinar on how to use Survey123 can be found Here.

2024 Invasive Aquatic Plant Screening Forms

Now Available Online

An updated version of the Invasive Aquatic Plant (IAP) Screening Survey Documentation Form is now available on our website. This useful data form is comparable to the updated fields on the 2024 update for Survey123.

Download the PDF of the 2024 Screening Survey form:

2024 IAP Common Name Form

2024 IAP Scientific Name Form

The common name and the Scientific name forms are currently available online.

Volunteer Community

This week's community update

Lake Arrowhead IPPer

Dina Benson

Dina Benson in active member of the Invasive Plant Patrol (IPP) team on Lake Arrowhead in York County. Since 2021, Dina and her husband Mark have been involved with PALZ, Patrollers of Arrowhead's Littoral Zone. Dina has also lent her time and talents during rapid response and mapping surveys at nearby Mousam Lake and Little Ossipee Lake as a member of the IPP Travel Team.

After observing native plants during her patrols, she began to draw and watercolor her findings. "I have loved to draw all my life, and now that I am retired I understand how putting the time into sketching is fun, rewarding and peaceful for me." says Benson. "There is so much beauty around us as we paddle."

In these pieces, Dina has depicted pipewort and horned bladderwort, both native plants. Dina remarks "the pipewort and the horned bladderwort often grow together and are easy to miss if you are not going slowly and calmly, with eyes on the water and the shore."

Photos credit: Dina Brenson