The Lake Conservation Corps is a summer stewardship learning program for 7th through 12th grade students. Paid interns perform shoreline restoration, erosion control, and watershed protection projects with guidance from local science teachers in partnership with agencies, local towns, conservation commissions, schools, and lake associations. The program is coordinated by the NH Lakes Association (NHLA). Projects will be aligned with the newly revised state education standards in science as well as national literacy standards. Professional development and technical training in watershed management and restoration issues for teacher coordinators will be provided as well.
The program's pilot year in 2007 was hosted by the Newfound Lake Region Association (NLRA), in partnership with New Hampshire Lakes Association and Plymouth State University. The funding comes from NH DES, PSU Center for the Environment, NHLA, and the NLRA.
In addition to the local goal of protecting the natural resources of NH, the long-term objective is to foster an awareness among adolescents of environmental issues and a lifelong interest in stewardship and the NH quality of life. After the pilot program in 2007-08, the program will become statewide, seeking local coordinators and natural resource specialists to recruit and oversee teams of school interns to do service projects around area watersheds.
This is a Rain Garden
Rain gardens are attractive and functional landscaped areas that are designed to capture and filter stormwater from roofs, driveways, and other hard surfaces. They collect water in bowl-shaped, vegetated areas, and allow it to slowly soak into the ground. This reduces the potential for erosion, and helps protect the water quality in our lakes, streams, and rivers by reducing the amount of polluted runoff reaching these resources.
The Newfound Lake Region Association’s Lake Conservation Corps members Brie Gickas, Christy Maloney, Kevin Arnold, Ashley Kuplin, and Billy Trethaway built this rain garden by hand as a community service project in August 2007. Funding was provided by the New Hampshire Lakes Association.
Materials, expertise, and tools were generously donated by the following:
Kuplin Land Services, Alexandria, NH Belknap Landscaping, Guilford, NH Simple by Nature, New Hampton, NH University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH Acton-Wakefield Watershed Alliance Youth Conservation Corps
