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Panorama of the Waubesa Wetlands

Behold The Things We Cannot See

About the author: My name is Karin Swanson and I am a student of the Yahara Watershed Academy. I work for Clean Lakes Alliance as the Marketing and Communications Associate Manager and I am a Meteorologist. I am sharing my journey through the Academy in an effort to expand our community’s knowledge and passion for the Yahara River Watershed.

The forgotten and sometimes unknown pieces of our watershed

“Behold the things we cannot see.” Take a moment to think about that sentence. What does it mean? We are so plugged in these days, but there is an abundance of information we can absorb that isn’t on Google or in a text book. There are actions occurring all around us. We may not know those things are happening, but we must trust and behold those occurrences – even if we cannot see the processes happening.

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2018 Annual State of the Lakes Report

2018 takeaways

  • Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms appeared in our lakes at an alarming scale, highlighting continued challenges with water quality.
    • 72% of beach closures from Memorial Day to August 20th were due to cyanobacteria blooms
    • June continues to be the biggest month for cyanobacteria blooms for the fourth year
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2019 Yahara Watershed Academy Class 2 at UW-Arboretum

Educating a new generation of lake leaders

About the author: My name is Karin Swanson and I am a student of the Yahara Watershed Academy. I work for Clean Lakes Alliance as the Marketing and Communications Associate Manager and I am a Meteorologist. I am sharing my journey through the Academy in an effort to expand our community’s knowledge and passion for the Yahara River Watershed.

The second class of the Yahara Watershed Academy began on March 12th with some sunshine and the promise of warmer temperatures. The forecast held a marked improvement over February’s class, which took place during the biggest snowstorm of the season. Our cohort of 25 Academy students met bright and early at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum as birds chirped welcoming words for our arrival.

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Yahara Watershed Academy - Feb 2019

Growing a new group of lake leaders

About the author: My name is Karin Swanson and I am a student of the Yahara Watershed Academy. I work for Clean Lakes Alliance as the Marketing and Communications Associate Manager and I am a meteorologist. I will bring you along on my journey through the Academy in an effort to expand our community’s knowledge and passion for the Yahara River Watershed.

Karin Swanson

The 2019 Yahara Watershed Academy (YWA) began on a very snowy February 12th. Snow started the evening of February 11th, with ten inches accumulating by the time the storm ended on the 13th. But the snow didn’t stop our group of students from learning about the Yahara River Watershed.

The YWA is made up of five day-long courses once a month, with students graduating in June. The Academy involves a partnership with the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Edgewood College. Graduates will have received the knowledge and skills to become a network of informed leaders for our watershed.

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Ways to Get Involved

Thanks for your interest in becoming more involved with Clean Lakes Alliance’s work to clean up our lakes! We encourage you to consider six steps for supporting our lakes:

1. Get informed and participate

Learn more about Clean Lakes Alliance and our community efforts to reduce phosphorus by participating in our volunteer, educational, and networking events:

Clean Lakes 101 Science Café

A series of educational events that put the latest research by scientists and lake experts in front of community leaders. These events take place on the second Wednesday of each month.

Clean Lakes Volunteer Days

Opportunities for businesses to volunteer on meaningful and rewarding lakeshore projects while becoming informed and engaged in the issues that affect water quality.

Other programs

Community-wide events like the Frozen Assets Festival, Community Breakfast, Loop the Lake Bike Ride, and Waubesa Surf ‘n Turf.

2. Lead by example

Practice responsible home and land management to reduce your water runoff into storm drains and ultimately the lakes. Apply what you’ve learned, and educate your neighbors on things like leaf management, rain barrels, and rain gardens. Read more about what you can do.

3. Donate

Donate to become a Friend of Clean Lakes personally and encourage your company or employer to become a Lake Partner.

Friends of Clean Lakes are people who give an annual donation to support our overall efforts. Suggested donation levels start at $35 for an individual, through the $250 family level and up. All Friends of Clean Lakes can show their support through a complimentary yard sign, provided annually by Clean Lakes Alliance.

Lake Partners are businesses or organizations that that support Clean Lakes Alliance’s overall mission. Suggested donation levels start at $75 for nonprofits, $100 for a small business, and up to $750 and above, based on company size.

4. Become a sponsor

All Friends and Lake Partners are invited to consider sponsoring or underwriting a program, event, or project. Contact us to learn about sponsorship levels and benefits. Learn more about becoming a sponsor.

5. Join a committee

Share your expertise in a particular topic by joining a Clean Lakes Alliance committee or work group. Most committee members have attended events and learned more about Clean Lakes Alliance prior to serving on a committee. Learn more about our committees.

6. Serve on a board

In the fourth quarter of the year, Clean Lakes Alliance puts out a call for nominations for our Community Board and Friends of Clean Lakes Board. Most successful board candidates have previous experience and involvement with Clean Lakes Alliance through one of the above channels. Learn more about our boards and current board members.

or search our website for something else:

Join us today

Friend of Clean Lakes (Individual) OrLake Partner (Business)

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