Wildsight’s Lake Windermere Project recognized globally — again!
NEW: Sister lake partnership with Windermere, UK — Mayor of Invermere invited to give keynote speech
Wildsight members can be proud of the work the organization does. Tough campaigns, like Jumbo Wild, tend to stay in the spotlight, but there are always several successful Wildsight programs quietly perking away — doing important work — in the background.
The Lake Windermere Project and Lake Windermere will be featured in the United Kingdom, as Invermere mayor Gerry Taft will address delegates from around the world with a key-note speech, “Our precious lakes, a community asset.” Taft will also be signing a “sister lake” partnership agreement with Windermere, UK. It will all take place at the 2009 Lakes for Living, Lakes for Life conference, held in England’s beautiful Lake District.
The long and winding stream…
Wildsight’s Lake Windermere Project (LWP) started in 2005. Since then, it’s been working to create lasting water stewardship program for the Columbia Valley’s Lake Windermere and its upland tributaries. With 14 partner groups — including the District of Invermere — who care about the health of Lake Windermere, the LWP has been able to accomplish a lot in a short time.
“This program is much more than an awareness campaign, though public awareness is crucial to the work it does,” said Heather Leschied, Wildsight’s LWP program manager.
LWP efforts have included consultation, research, and water quality sampling, shoreline cleanups, shoreline mapping, boat counts and fundraising.
The accolades for all this effort have been coming thick and fast, especially from “in the know” groups such as the International Living Lakes Network, a group of 70 environmental organizations representing 55 lakes worldwide, who will host the conference in Windermere, UK.
In 2008, the LWP was chosen by the International Living Lakes Network for its members to use a case study for local, effective water stewardship programs. Wildsight’s Heather Leschied was pleased to represent the LWP at the 2008 Lakes for Living, Lake for Life conference in Italy.
Kind words for LWP and District of Invermere
Mayor Taft was invited by John Pinder, a Lakes Manager in Cumbria, in England’s Lake District, to give the address at this years conference on May 18 to 21.
“Given the acknowledged strong community steer which has taken place at Windermere, Canada, I would like to invite you to deliver the keynote speech on ‘Our precious lakes; a community asset,’” he wrote in the formal invitation.
“Through our participation in the Living Lakes Network we have learned that the District of Invermere has been effective in working with local NGOs in the field of lake management. We feel that practitioners who will be attending the conference can benefit from learning through your extensive and respected experiences.
“The similarities of our two Lake Windermeres, and a creation of a sister lake partnership (twinning) proposed at the conference would, we believe, not only benefit our two Windermeres but also many other lake communities worldwide who may wish to emulate this one.”
“International eyes are looking to the Columbia Valley as a positive example of water stewardship,” Leschied said. “Wildsight’s LWP and Columbia River Headwaters programs are being used as case studies in capacity building by other Living Lakes partners. “Once again, we will be bringing a lot to the table at a living lakes conference,” Leschied added. “Even though we’re the only members from Canada, our programs are being used as templates around the world.
