ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center/Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

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ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain has launched a new outreach program for adults: Voices for the Lake (VFL), which uses social media to inspire stewardship. This summer, VFL Manager Bridget Butler will visit communities at the north and south ends of the Lake, capturing video clips of people passionate about Lake Champlain, and sharing the videos on ECHO's YouTube channel and in an exhibit at ECHO.

Residents of the Missisquoi, Otter, and Lewis Creek Basins can expect to see Bridget at every manner of town gathering - from Swanton Community Day to Shoreham Days, and even a church picnic or two.

Towns include:

Bridget Butler gets the word out. © Travis Cook/ECHO

Guests of these summer events - plus a variety of scheduled sessions hosted at local libraries in nearly every town - will view videos of folks sharing their feelings about Lake Champlain and then have the chance to record their own. Topics include: How they enjoy the Lake and rivers The health of Lake Champlain Favorite memories of the waterways in their community Bridget Butler - long-time naturalist and all-around Vermont personality - will guide discussion about the watershed and help participants frame their stories for video capture. "I am so excited to actually get out and meet people who care about their waterways. A water system is more than just water - it includes the people whose lives shape and are shaped by it on a daily basis." ECHO's Executive Director Phelan Fretz, adds, "We're using every tool at our disposal - including social media - to make sure our stewardship message has as much impact as possible." Voices for the Lake is ECHO's initiative to inspire Champlain Basin stewardship through conversations and connections enabled by social technologies like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter@VoicesVT.

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ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center is located at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, on Vermont's Burlington Waterfront. ECHO features 70 live species, over 100 interactive experiences, seasonal changing exhibits and events - all exploring the Ecology, Culture, History, and Opportunity for stewardship of the Lake Champlain Basin. The 2.2 acre Leahy Center environmental campus is also highlighted by the Lake Champlain Basin Program Resource Room, UVM's Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory, Lake Champlain Navy Memorial, ECHO's Eclectic Gift Shop, and ecology-themed Think! Café. Open year-round, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve & Day. For more information visit echovermont.org, call 1-877-ECHOFUN, or write to ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, One College Street, Burlington, VT 05401.
 

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