A few words about summer 2021 from the LakeSmart Team

Your LakeSmart team's 2021 season was jam-packed with environmental action, outreach, and education. From large-scale community projects to casual conversations, the team brought their passion, positivity, and diligent effort that ensured the success of our activities. We did shoreline cleanups, stencilled storm drains, and conducted webinars, kids programming, dock visits, markets, tree plantings, metal waste collection, and invasive species removal. We also launched a citizen science program, our Mobile Boat Wash Station and made meaningful connections along the way that will benefit the LakeSmart program for years to come.

Each of these initiatives contributes to a network of action in the Lake of the Woods district. The steps we take through the LakeSmart program wouldn't be nearly as effective without the passionate community that LOWDSA is a part of. Thank you to everyone that has been a part of our summer whether you've supported us by participating, volunteering, or simply following along with what we've been up to. And a special thanks goes to each of our sponsors. None of this would be possible without you!

Abbi Friesen

It's been a whirlwind summer for LakeSmart, but our team did a fantastic job of tackling LOWDSA's ever-growing programs. From launching Kenora's first boat wash station to starting up LOWDSA's own zebra mussel’s citizen science initiative and running the regular LakeSmart programming, we were one busy team! I am proud of all the successes we had together this summer and enjoyed learning from each of my teammates. My favourite day this summer had to be our seedling day on Lake of the Woods. I, along with the rest of the LakeSmart team, paddled to two islands and planted 600 seedlings in partnership with Camp Stephens. In addition, we were able to drop our first Zebra Mussel Settlement Sampler at the camp and managed to fit in a very lovely swim. I can't wait to see what is in store for LakeSmart next summer!

Brie McCardle

Just like that, summer is wrapping up, and so are the cottagers’ time at the lake.

For me, a highlight was the biodiversity on Coney Island, where we hand-cut purple loosestrife. The low water gave us an advantage in getting deep in the marsh and cutting the large population we don't usually have access to. Our goal was to manage the invasive species to ensure the biodiversity stays as wild as it is. After finishing the cuttings in the area, I was very shocked when I looked up to see a big black bear about 15 feet away watching me work. It was a rush of adrenaline and fascination as I got out of there to tell the others. We may have had to cut the day short, but we got to see things you simply do not see every day, and that is one of the reasons I love my LakeSmart job.

Quinn Miller

This has been a busy summer of excitement, adventure, and learning. I am honoured to have been a part of the LakeSmart team this summer. With so much accomplished, it's difficult to sufficiently summarize it all in just a few words. Highlights of our summer include the launch of our boat wash station, which ran Thursdays and Fridays every week, the launch of our citizen science zebra mussel monitoring program, and dock visits on the LakeSmart boat. I thoroughly enjoyed learning from the team and all the people we interacted with this summer. It has been a pleasure to have been able to spend an entire summer living, working, and playing in Lake of the Woods, the most beautiful place on earth.

Seanna Cyncora

As a new member of the LakeSmart team, I loved my summer with the Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association. We worked on a variety of interesting projects regarding outreach education and physical environmental improvements. It felt amazing and inspiring to be a part of an active environmental stewardship team. The projects and activities we completed over the short summer months were always exciting, and I found myself constantly learning new things each day.

My confidence and social skills improved as we connected with locals on dock visits while using our boat wash station, teaching kids at camp, and talking to people at the markets. I loved working alongside my co-workers out on the lake and making a difference in my community. I have always been very passionate about the lake, so it was super exciting to be a part of the first boat wash station in the region and the Zebra Mussel Settlement Sampler project! The best highlights of the summer were when our team reached our goals for the planned projects we had set for the summer. We were a busy group, but it was always interesting, and I'm proud that we ended our summer successfully.