Arctic char, closely related to lake and brook trout, are a relic of the last Ice Age. When glaciers in New England receded between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago, the char colonized areas of inland New England. Other than Alaska, Maine is the only…
Photosynthetic bacteria, gelatin, and concrete are the building blocks of a new type of material: living concrete! Researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder, funded by the Department of Defense, formed the new substance. Minerals in the…
As the seas rise higher, low lying islands and coastal areas are continually threatened by floods. Batasan, an island in the Philippines, is no exception. In 2013, a major earthquake (7.2 magnitude) hit the island, causing it to collapse downward.
The Vermont Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA - H.688) will be on the House floor tomorrow, February 20 for a crucial vote. The bill sets binding targets and holds the state accountable to develop and implement a plan to meet Vermont’s commitment to…
Recognizing that climate change poses an existential threat to Lake Champlain water quality, LCC was among 30 diverse organizations to present a policy plan of action to Vermont leaders in January. Since 2006, the state has had statutory goals to cut…
Earlier this month Jared Carpenter, LCC’s Water Protection Advocate, joined with colleagues from the Vermont Conservation Voters, Vermont Natural Resource Council and other organizations to present the 2020 Environmental Common Agenda. The Common…
In July 2019, LCC welcomed Lauren Sopher to the staff as our Director of Science and Water Programs. Lauren grew up in Vermont traipsing after frogs and toads along Monroe Brook, paddling the LaPlatte River, and exploring Lake Champlain’s surface and…
A grant from outdoor gear co-op REI will enable LCC to purchase signage for Lake Champlain Paddlers’ Trail sites, update website content, and produce informational materials about the Trail. The funds will also cover a touring kayak and related gear…
Lakeshore and grassland are like yin and yang: seemingly opposite forces that are complimentary. The lakeshore provides water disturbance to the grass and the grassland provides shoreline stabilization to the lake—both processes shape this natural…
Every space gets dirty. Whether at home, at work, or somewhere in between, most of us use cleaning products on a regular basis to tidy up. While commercial products may get things squeaky clean, they can also do more harm than good. Many contain…
Plant identification is not restricted to a particular season. Though woody plants can be difficult to identify in winter, the activity adds a new dynamic to winter adventures and is a fun challenge. Read on for identification tips about two common…
There is great potential behind a hole in the ice. On Lake Champlain, those holes are often related to ice fishing. You can make ice fishing what you want it to be: a social or solo activity, over a short or long timespan, and on open ice or under…
In partnership with Jesse Bowman Bruchac, a Nulhegan Abenaki citizen and a teacher of the Abenaki language, the Middlebury Language Schools is launching a pilot School of Abenaki in summer 2020. Native to New England and Quebec, the Abenaki language…
Beavers are active year-round. Explore what a beaver lodge and dam is like in the wintertime with conservation biologist, Steve Faccio, and Outdoor Radio co-hosts, Kent McFarland and Sarah Zahendra, at a frozen beaver pond in Pomfret, VT. From…
A coalition of Environmental organizations—the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC), Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), and Vermont Audubon—issued a water quality-related press release on December 13, 2019.
Protecting wetlands is a longstanding priority for the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC). The areas of interface between shoreland and water are a vital part of Lake Champlain’s ecosystem. Thank you for using your voice to protect Vermont’s wetlands now…
In early September, Lake Champlain Basin Program Boat (LCBP) Launch Steward Matthew Gorton was conducting a routine boat inspection for invasive species prevention at a public access site in South Hero, Vermont when he noticed an unusual plant…
Eight years ago last April 13, Lake Champlain reached flood stage (100 feet) and stayed above that level for a record-setting 67 days. Waters rose to 103.27 feet – the highest the lake has been since records have been kept. Lakeside homes, roads and…
December 3 is Giving Tuesday, the "Black Friday" for charitable giving and part of an international movement to create a day of giving back. Please consider participating by making a gift of time or money to the Lake Champlain Committee.
Hundreds of LCC-trained volunteers took to the water from mid-June through mid-November to assess conditions at more than 100 Lake Champlain and inland waterway sites. Each week they scoured the shoreline for signs of cyanobacteria, donned gloves and…
Wastewater treatment and septic systems are designed to handle the four Ps—pee, poop, puke, and (toilet) paper—and nothing else. Flushing other paper products, plastics, disposable diapers, pharmaceuticals, dryer lint, condoms, tampons or…
This report by biologist, writer, explorer Bryan Pfeiffer provides annual breaking news on the migration of snow geese through Vermont and New York. Clinton County, New York is currently 2019’s snow goose hotspot: 8,000 snow geese were observed in…
Fatbergs have become commonplace in city sewer systems around the world. They are an accumulation of fat, oil, and grease congealed around common household solid waste items like “flushable” wipes, paper towels, and tampons. The removal of fatbergs…
This is the last report of the 2019 Lake Champlain and Inland Lake cyanobacteria monitoring season. Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) monitors and partners have filed over 2,700 reports from Lake Champlain and inland lakes during a 22-week season. We’re…
It’s snowing in the Lake Champlain Valley, coating much of our region in a gentle blanket of white as we enter our last weeks of cyanobacteria monitoring. The cooler temperatures make conditions much less hospitable for cyanobacteria, so not…
Cyanobacteria blooms were reported this week from Lake Champlain’s St. Albans Bay, Inland Sea, Main Lake North, Main Lake Central and Main Lake South as well as at Lake Carmi and Lake Memphremagog. Yesterday’s intense rain may wash cyanobacteria out…
Blooms were observed this week at a few Lake Champlain locations as well as on Lake Memphremagog. Temperatures are predicted to stay fairly warm into the beginning of next week, so cyanobacteria may continue to show up in waterways. As you enjoy…
Blooms were experienced this week in Lake Champlain’s St. Albans Bay and Main Lake North, as well as Lake Carmi and Lake Memphremagog. We’ve had a blustery few days, with strong winds triggering lots of wave action on our waterways. In addition to…
We had some great weather for leaf peeping this week but unfortunately, those moderate temperatures and sunny, calm days also helped cyanobacteria blooms flourish. High alert or mixed conditions were witnessed in Lake Champlain’s St. Albans Bay, the…
As temperatures cool and hues of orange, yellow and red color the hillsides, we hope you are enjoying autumn’s beauty. Although blooms are less likely as air and water temperatures drop and frost warnings are in effect, cyanobacteria can still…
Unseasonably warm weekend weather triggered a spate of 17 bloom reports on 9/21 and 9/22. More blooms followed during the week, with some monitors reporting their first blooms of 2019. With temperatures predicted to rise into the 70s on Saturday, we…
Today marks the global climate strike followed by a week of events to highlight the urgency of climate action. Water is a primary medium through which we feel the effects of climate change. Declining water quality is another consequence of a warming…
Mixed conditions were reported again this week on Lake Champlain in Missisquoi Bay, St. Albans Bay, and the Inland Sea, and also at Lake Carmi. The floating mats of the benthic cyanobacteria Oscillatoria sp. that we showed you pictures of last week…
Kids are back at school, seasonal staff are leaving beach and park areas, and there’s a hint of fall in the air this first week of September. However, cyanobacteria can still flourish even when autumn colors begin to show on the hillsides which is…
It was another busy week for <link about-lcc>Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) monitors with alert level conditions reported from Lake Champlain’s Missisquoi Bay, St. Albans Bay, Inland Sea, Main Lake North, Main Lake South, and South Lake. Cyanobacteria was also…
We hope you’ve been enjoying the cooler temperatures and lower humidity this week. Here are results from our tenth week of the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) cyanobacteria monitoring program. You’ll find resources and links to help you identify,…
Alert level conditions were reported from several Lake Champlain locations and inland lakes this week including Lake Champlain’s inland sea, St. Albans and Missisquoi Bays and at Indian Brook Reservoir, Lake Carmi and Shelburne Pond. Scattered storms…
While there were many reports of generally safe conditions this week several sections of Lake Champlain as well as some inland waterways continue to be plagued by mixed conditions. Read LCC's latest report on cyanobacteria conditions for the week of…
Lake Champlain Committee Monitors filed 177 reports this week! Blooms appeared in four Lake Champlain regions: Missisquoi Bay, St. Albans Bay, Inland Sea, and Main Lake Central. There were also bloom conditions at Lake Carmi and Shelburne Pond. Warm…
