Contents
Winter 2010 Home Page
General Notices
President's Message
Lakeside Notes
Littorally Speaking
Welcome Aboard New Monitors
National Lakes Assessment
Algal Toxins
Thank You Supporters!
Customize Your Monitoring Packet
Passings
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By Scott Williams
VLMP Executive Director
Our expectations for 2010 began to take shape over a period of several weeks last summer. Like so many other nonprofit organizations throughout the country, ever since the economy started to go south about eighteen months ago we have been bracing ourselves for lean economic times. Accordingly, in early 2009, we developed and began to carry out a plan to reduce program costs wherever possible – which was not particularly easy to do on an already “bare bones” budget. But it had to be done, and we’re continuing to make changes to ensure that the VLMP will have the resources necessary to continue to carry out its mission.
Prior to the onset of the volunteer training workshops last spring, we found ourselves pondering the potential implications of a faltering economy on people’s interest in monitoring lakes. Given the many ways in which so many people’s lives have been affected would volunteers continue to be willing and able to take the time to become trained, and to monitor their lakes several times during the summer? And, of course, we were concerned about how hard times could affect donations to support the work of the VLMP.
Frankly, we were surprised and very pleased with the answers to both questions, which became apparent as the lake monitoring season progressed last summer. In short—more volunteer lake monitors were trained and certified last summer than in any other year in the 38 year history of the program! Record numbers of volunteers signed up for and attended VLMP water quality and invasive plant patrol training workshops throughout the summer.
Private donations to support the work of the VLMP also exceeded all previous records last year. Individuals and lake associations came forward in record numbers with donations to show their support for monitoring and protecting the health of Maine’s lakes. This generosity could not have come at a better time, because as the number of volunteer lake monitors increases, so do the costs involved in training, equipping, and supporting both new and existing volunteers.
Last year at this time we were concerned about the future of the program. But our spirits were buoyed by the continued passion that volunteers throughout Maine showed for monitoring their lakes and for financially supporting the community of which we are all members. That community has persevered for nearly four decades, having withstood the periodic ravages of hard economic times.
And so, thanks to all of you, our outlook for the New Year is pretty darned positive! Your message has been clear: We must continue to do what has been done for all of these years, in order to ensure that volunteer lake monitors have the resources that they need to accomplish their good work. To all of you in Maine’s volunteer lake monitor community who are working to help make this possible, we offer our deepest thanks.
Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program
vlmp@mainevlmp.org
24 Maple Hill Road, Auburn, ME 04210
(207) 783-7733
www.MaineVolunteerLakeMonitors.org
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