Photo by Kay Stephens, PenBay Pilot, Megunticook Lake

Year-End Lake News
Greetings!

I know the holidays are particularly busy but wanted to share some lake news as 2022 draws rapidly to a close. It has been a productive year at Maine Lakes, and I look forward to sharing more news with you (and hearing about the great work you are all doing on behalf of Maine's lakes) in 2023!

  1. Thank You!
  2. Give the Gift of Clean Lakes with a Maine Lakes Gift Membership
  3. Love Maine Lakes? Here's a fun gift idea!
  4. Survey for the Maine Lakes Conference: We Need Your Input!
  5. Advocacy Training Opportunity
Many of you are long-time supporters of Maine Lakes, so you know that at this time of year we ask for additional gifts from our generous donors. I know we are competing with many other worthy non-profits for limited dollars but am hopeful that Maine Lakes' work to keep our lakes clean and healthy will be part of your year-end giving plans. Many of you will get an appeal letter from us in the mail that shares how your dollars support lake protection work around the state. To read a summary, click here. And to donate securely click here.

Your dollars support both local and community lake
protection programs with state-wide impact.

Thank you!
Give the Gift of Clean Lakes!

Need a gift for that hard-to-buy for family member?

Want to shift from giving “things” to giving for impact?

We have the perfect gift for you!

Give a gift of Maine Lakes membership and we’ll send your giftee a copy of our new Lake Book, a resource packed with helpful information for all who use, visit, and love Maine’s lakes and ponds. They’ll also receive two issues of our newsletter For the Sake of Maine’s Lakes, a discount for registration to the Maine Lakes Conference on June 17th in China, ME, and the satisfaction of knowing their membership supports meaningful lake protection projects.
Click here to read more about the Lake Book, or here to reach our Gift Membership page.

Deadline for gift ordering for the holiday is December 20th.
Love Maine Lakes?
Here's a Fun Gift Idea!

We are happy to share another excellent option for lake-friendly gift giving! Whether you are looking to give a great gift for the holidays or you are looking to gift yourself...you can support clean lakes by purchasing a gift through our partners at Barefoot Bay Apparel (barefootbay.net).

Barefoot Bay’s mission is to celebrate freshwater fun and donate back to causes that raise awareness of how we can all help preserve freshwater lakes for future generations, including Maine Lakes. We are happy to support this lake-friendly business!
 
BarefootBay.net will print the silhouette of any lake in Maine (or from anywhere!) on their eco-friendly shirts and hats. They have tons of great apparel options and have something for everyone.

Ordering is simple!

  • Go to barefootbay.net
  • Choose your favorite apparel item/s on the home page
  • Once on apparel/product page, choose 'Maine' in the 'state' dropdown field
  • Click the lake you want to be printed on that apparel item
  • If you don't see a lake listed in the lake dropdown, no worries! Just type in the name of the lake you want designed onto your apparel items and Barefoot Bay will get it created for you in short order

P.S. If you are part of a lake association in Maine, you can contact john@barefootbay.net to discuss how Barefoot Bay can create apparel for your lake/association and Barefoot Bay will donate 20% of your lake items purchased back to your association.

Thanks for shopping with a Maine Lakes Business Partner!
Survey for the Joint Maine Lakes Conference:

Together for Healthy Lakes

After a three-year absence, the in-person annual conference is back! Maine Lakes is thrilled to be co-hosting the 2023 conference with Lake Stewards of Maine. We believe the conference will be better than ever, bringing together water quality monitors, LakeSmart evaluators, Invasive Plant Patrollers, lake association volunteers, and passionate clean lake advocates. The date is June 17th and the location is at the China Lake Conference Center.
 
As we plan the conference program, we would love your feedback on the topics that most interest you or your lake association.

Click here for a short (four question, less than two minute) survey.

Please pass this link on to your members and fellow lake advocates.

We will keep the survey open until December 22nd.

Thank you in advance for your time and hope to see you at the conference!
Advocacy Training Opportunity

Our colleagues at the Natural Resources Council of Maine have a great series of Zoom training workshops planned. Although the first one has passed, there are three more great opportunities for you.

And the timing is perfect! The next legislative session starts in January, and we already know of at least two very exciting lake bills (one to fund matching grants for lake protection projects that could include BMPs resulting from LakeSmart evaluations and another to reduce wakes near shore, protecting shorelines and wildlife habitat). And we know there will be more, so now is a great time to hone your advocacy skills and speak up for lakes!

From our friends at NRCM:
What happens in Maine’s State House can have a huge impact on our air, water, wildlife, and communities. Mainers like you have a lot of power to influence which laws are passed (and which are stopped) to protect Maine’s environment, but the process can sometimes be hard to follow. 

Join NRCM's virtual training series this fall, designed to give people who care about Maine’s environment the skills and resources to be an effective voice for change.

Making Your Voice Heard
Thursday, December 15, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Learn how to most effectively communicate with your lawmakers and other decision-makers—whether it’s testimony, letters to the editor, lobby meetings, or other ways. 

Building People Power
Thursday, January 5, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

To pass new laws, we need more people to get involved. Learn how to talk to your family and friends about issues you care about. 

Current priorities and taking action
Mid-January, official date and time TBD

As the legislative session kicks off, learn about NRCM’s current priorities and the best ways to be involved.  

To register, click here.

To sign up for legislative alerts from Maine Lakes (3-5 emails per year when we need people to speak up for lakes), click here,
Thanks for your support and for all you do for Maine’s lakes. I hope your holiday season is a happy and healthy one, and best wishes for a bright new year ahead.

We look forward to working with you on projects and programming that keep your lake clean, healthy, and blue in the coming year.
 
Susan Gallo
Executive Director