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RANGELEY – Once again, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust’s volunteer invasive plant patrollers found no aquatic invaders during their annual surveys.
Volunteers patrol in July, August and September (during peak growth) to survey shorelines and document native plants along area lakes and ponds, including Beaver Mountain, Cupsuptic (including the Cupsuptic River), Kennebago, Little Kennebago, Loon, Mooselookmeguntic, Rangeley, and Saddleback Lakes, and Gull, Haley, Dodge and Quimby Ponds.
New survey areas added this year were Round and Middle Sandy River ponds.
Early detection is key to successfully eradicating new infestations. In performing the annual surveys, volunteers can recognize what usually grows in their lake and make it easier to see trends and spot potential invasive plants, providing a crucial first line of defense, the RLHT said.
The Rangeley Lakes region, and most of Maine, has an overwhelming need for volunteers to help protect our unique natural areas. Outdoor recreation is more popular than ever, and people travel more quickly than in the past. Aquatic plants and animals travel with us on shoes, fishing poles, boats, and other gear.
“Community involvement is crucial to protecting our lakes and ponds,” said Hanz Berger, Americorps environmental steward, and RLHT’s headwaters program coordinator. “Volunteers can paddle their local waterbody with friends and family, making it an annual tradition. Passing on the torch of lake stewardship to the next generation is essential in preserving the beauty and ecological health of our watersheds for years to come”,
Anyone interested in becoming an invasive plant patroller may go through the Lake Stewards of Maine. Participants watch a three-part video series, on which they’re quizzed, and return a certification form. During the patrolling season, surveys are sent in via an app.
For more information, email Hanz Berger at headwaters@rlht.org or visit rlht.org.
PHOTOS: Volunteer Carol Guiel on the water as an invasive plant patroller. (RLHT photo)
