March 2021 Newsletter from the 30 Mile River Watershed Association
Photo: The Magic of Silence & Friendship by Christine Merchant
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Now that spring is here, you may be dreaming of gardening and landscaping projects for the coming season. If you have property on a lake, spring is a great time to pay attention to what happens to rainwater. If stormwater is running across your driveway or yard and making its way to the lake, planting some groundcover and shrubs could make a big difference in protecting water quality. These plants help the water slow down and get absorbed into the ground, keeping the runoff and the pollutants it carries from getting into the lake. Low-growing, native woody shrubs hold back the earth and take up much more water than grass or bare ground. When you choose native plants well-suited to your space, they can be easier to maintain than a lawn.
30 Mile is a regional coordinator of LakeSmart, a statewide program led by Maine Lakes. To request a free site visit or to learn about volunteering, please contact Lidie at lidie@30mileriver.org.
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As the summer season approaches, we are putting plans in place to fight the new invasive milfoil infestation on Androscoggin Lake and ramp up our prevention efforts throughout the watershed. Here’s an update on recent activity around the state.
Earlier this month, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife issued a press release about a potential vector for highly invasive Zebra Mussels.These invasives have been found hitchhiking on aquatic moss balls sold in pet stores in Maine and throughout the country. Maine's natural resource agencies urged anyone who may have bought these moss balls to destroy them, and for pet stores to remove them from the shelves and destroy them immediately. Click here to read the press release.
LD 184, a bill that would require boaters to pull drain plugs when traveling as a means of preventing the spread of invasives, was rejected by the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife legislative committee. We supported this bill and are disappointed it did not move out of committee. Thank you to all who wrote or called their representatives in support of this bill. Our Courtesy Boat Inspectors will continue to ask boaters to pull their drain plugs, and we will educate the public about the importance of doing so. Draining standing water from a boat can help reduce the spread of invasive animals, like Zebra Mussels and Spiny Waterfleas.
Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service
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We are currently seeking applicants for year-round and summer positions. Visit our website for full job descriptions.
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Oversee and implement core erosion-control and water quality programs. Must be passionate about protecting our lakes while having the technical and project management skills and experience to support our extensive programming. Full-time, year-round. Application review begins April 5th.
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Be part of the “first line of defense” against invasive aquatic plants, animals that hitch rides on boats and trailers, spreading from lake to lake. CBIs work at public boat launches checking incoming and outgoing boats and educating the public about invasive species. CBIs serve a vital role in protecting our lakes from the devastating impacts of invasives, while spending time at beautiful, lakeside locations. Memorial Day weekend-mid-September. Application review begins April 12th.
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Invasive Aquatic Plant Survey Team Member |
Conduct field surveys for invasive aquatic plants and support the volunteer survey effort across the watershed. The position requires knowledge of or a passion for learning about aquatic ecosystems, aquatic plant identification, and volunteer management. June-August, 25-30 hrs/week. Application review begins April 12th.
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Spring is making its move, and with temperatures rising and the days getting longer, soon the first spring peepers will begin to call. Spring peepers are small brown tree frogs about an inch long. Using powerful vocal cords and an inflated signing sac, the male’s call pierces spring evenings and can be heard a mile away.
In this 22-second animation, eight common species of frogs give their calls through the season. To learn more about these and other amphibians, visit Maine Audubon.
Photo credit: JasonOndreicka/iStock
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Welcome 30 Mile's New Board Member |
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Joe Fitzpatrick
Basin-David-Tilton Ponds Association
Joe’s professional career has centered on clinical psychology of young people. He spent many years practicing with the Maine Department of Corrections, including holding the position of Commissioner of Corrections. When "Dr. Joe" retired from the MDOC in 2018, he and his wife Patti moved to a house on David Pond. Joe now provides clinical consultation to several schools in the greater Portland area and is the Clinical Director of Kents Hill School in Readfield. His commitment to the lakes includes being the President of the Basin-David-Tilton Ponds Association. Joe and Patti love the outdoors and enjoy time walking, hiking, and appreciating all the beauty of living on a Maine waterway.
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Maine Lakes is hosting its Maine Lakes Conference speakers in a FREE “Wednesday Webinars” series running the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, February through June at 4 PM.
Next up: Drought and Surface Water: Lakes, Streams and the Drought of 2020 on April 7th. For more information and to register, click here.
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Thank you to so many of you who took the time to complete our recent survey. Your answers were insightful and informative and will guide us in creating programs and a new website that best serves our community.
Our sincerest apologies for leaving Minnehonk Lake off the list of lake choices! We appreciate those of you who responded anyway and added it to the “other” option.
Congratulations to Andy Lillenthal who won some 30 Mile swag in a random drawing for his participation in the survey!
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Nona and Doug Boyink bought their property on Parker Pond in 1976 from Helen Cushman and moved into their house in 1977. It is an open and airy home that sits back on their naturally landscaped property. Its large windows provide a serene view of the lake. It is here that they raised their two sons, Andrew and Jeffrey.
"Parker Pond is our favorite place to be, one where we are surrounded by nature and an environment that is beautiful and interesting in every season. We can watch quiet snowfalls in one season and in another watch thunderstorms tearing across the lake toward us. We especially love the amazing sunsets and, of course, the loons. At the same time we are close to good places to work and good schools for our children."
Nona and Doug support 30 Mile because of its work on behalf of all the lakes.Through their involvement with 30 Mile they learned that the quality of any one lake is dependent on all the others so collective stewardship is crucial. Most importantly, they support 30 Mile in order to leave a legacy of clean lakes for future generations.
Becoming monthly donors was an easy way to keep their contributions current and provide predictable cash flow for the organization, supporting all the ways it protects our lakes.
To learn more about becoming a Watershed Warrior and other ways to support 30 Mile, click here
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