Maine Lakes Society

Programs: Lakesmart: the maine lakes society lakesmart program educates and rewards lakefront home owners who manage their properties in ways that protect water quality, aquatic habitat, property values and the recreational opportunities healthy lakes provide. Lakesmart is voluntary, free, and non-regulatory. Interested homeowners may request a lakesmart visit, whereupon a trained lakesmart volunteer will arrive to evaluate the property and provide site-specific recommendations, a personalized blueprint for lake-friendly living. Properties that qualify for the coveted lakesmart award receive two distinctive metal signs for posting at the waterfront and roadside to communicate to others that lakes need care if their beauty and benefits are to last. As lakesmart spreads along the shore, stewardship becomes the behavioral norm among members of participating lakesmart lake communities.

lake's alive, the maine lakes society's youth education program, is designed to develop future lake stewards. Its goal is to engage youth in hands-on lake learning and cultivate their interest in lake dynamics so that they will support freshwater conservation as adults. The society's 30 foot floating classroom, equipped with proprietary field tested, place-based learning materials and activities, delivers a powerful learning experience. Immersed in the lake surroundings, participants directly observe and analyze the vitality and interdependence of lake systems and quickly see how environmental stewardship supports biodiversity and good water quality.

advocacy: since it's founding in 1970, the maine lakes society has advocated for lakes by presenting science-based information to lawmakers and local officials. The society educates rather than lobbies by presenting knowledge decision-makers might not otherwise possess to ensure that local, regional, and state policy sustain and support the public's fragile freshwater resources.