Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/398704
"People love water. We want to live by lakes and rivers. We hike for hours to see a waterfall. We spend our holidays at the beach. We go to water to relax, to celebrate," says Heather Leschied, the water stewardship program manager with Wildsight, an envi- ronmental organization working in the Columbia Basin in south- east B.C. "But there's often a disconnect between how people feel about their lakes or rivers or wetlands and the actions they take to protect them. e goal of the I Love My Lake campaign is to help people move from just loving their lakes to taking care of them. "e national component of the campaign is the I Love My Lake declaration, where Canadians explain why they love their lake (or any other body of fresh water) through a video or written statement." e declarations are then sent to elected officials. Regionally, water stewardship groups work on water protection projects specific to their area. "Vancouver Foundation donors funded our efforts to collect baseline ecological science on a bunch of popular Kootenay lakes," says Leschied. Leschied explains that shoreline development in the Kootenays is intensifying. "More and more people are building homes and docks and other structures on these lakes. We didn't know how much of the ecological value of the lakes was being lost, because no detailed assessments and monitoring had ever been done. So Wildsight, along with its partners in government, First Nations and community groups, is recording which species live in or near these lakes and mapping the ecologically sensitive areas, such as important fish spawning habitat. "is partnership has also developed guidelines and recommen- dations based on those inventories. e next step is getting those guidelines integrated into lake management plans or zoning bylaws or official community plans, so they can have a long-term impact." To do this, Wildsight staff are meeting with elected officials from all levels of government to present their scientific findings and pro- mote lake protection options. ey are also going to farmers mar- kets, attending lake association pancake breakfasts and holding workshops with community members, so lake lovers can pore over maps of "their" lake, understand its ecology and learn what they can do to protect it. "We're already seeing positive outcomes," says Leschied. "Some people wanted to set up a water-ski course on a certain part of one lake. But after we explained that the area was important for nesting water fowl, they moved the course to a less sensitive part of the lake, so boat wakes wouldn't swamp the nesting birds. It's an easy change, [and] one that will have a positive effect." Where should you start? First, Leschied is encouraging everyone to declare their feelings at ilovemylake.ca. Next, Leschied wants people to commit to taking action. "One person might take weekly water temperature readings off their dock and send it to their local lake stewardship group. Someone else might speak up at local government meetings or plant native vegeta- tion to stop erosion. People can do what works best for them. We want people to know their lakes really need them, and they need to stand up and take concrete steps to look after their lake. "I believe that Canadians love their lakes and want them to be healthy. We all want the things that make lakes great – the water, the fish, the salamanders, the loons, the ospreys – to be there for not only us, but for our kids and grandkids. is project is just helping people make that happen." When it's time to say, "I love you, lake," nothing beats a message to your local politician By Dorothy Bartoszewski Environment Photos: courtesy Ingrid Van der Marel; Kalista Pruden F a l l 2 0 1 4 I V a n c o u v e r F o u n d a t i o n l p a g e 2 1 For more information about Wildsight, visit wildsight.ca. To support environmental projects like this, contact Vancouver Foundation at 604.688.2204. Freshwater Passion Volunteer Amy Brett collects water samples at Lake Windermere in southeast B.C.