OUR MISSION

MISSION

ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain educates and delights people about the Ecology, Culture, History, and Opportunities for stewardship of the Lake Champlain Basin.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

We are committed to the highest scientific integrity and everything we say and do must be accurate and trusted beyond reproach.

We are not an advocacy organization but rather one that presents facts and positions from a neutral and unbiased perspective allowing individuals to learn and develop their own positions. The goal is to allow individuals to develop informed and educated decisions creating a better future for the Lake and the Basin.

ECHO VISION

Ecology
All people, animals, plants, and organisms in the Basin are interrelated and connected to each other and to their environments. Environmental science remains at the core of our exhibits, programs and activities. Water is the life force common to all of us and all ecosystems and must be protected and respected.

Culture
Human knowledge, beliefs, and behavior are profoundly affected by the surroundings: Lake Champlain and the adjacent mountains and watersheds. Continued growth and progress in improving our environment comes from lifelong learning at all levels.

History
We gain knowledge from sharing, recording, and explaining important events from our past. Decisions today should be made with the advantage of knowledge of the events and decisions of the past. What has happened in the past echoes to the present and to our future.

Opportunity
We have a responsibility to learn from the past and project a vision of a future that invites us to improve the Basin we live in through individual and collective environmental stewardship.