Outside that is. Walk, run, hike, bike, paddle, or fish in the great outdoors. Breath some fresh air, get a little dirty or wet, take in the sunshine – or the rain, watch the stars. Commune with nature. Getting out into the greenery is known to brighten moods and improve health. Research indicates that spending time in natural areas makes people happy and speeds recovery from stress and fatigue. Plants and trees are living, breathing air filters - they detoxify the air by absorbing many substances that can be harmful to humans, like excess carbon dioxide and dust particles. Exercising on hills, fields or in water helps improve musculoskeletal health. Celebrate the forests, wetlands, meadows, mountains, shoreline and waterbodies of mother earth by exploring!

We're gearing up for the summer monitoring season and are looking for people who can regularly report on water conditions. Blue-green algae monitors receive training to assess water conditions, visit the same site throughout the season and file a weekly online report from mid-June through the end of September. The program provides critical data on where and when blooms are happening and is relied on by public health and environmental agencies to assess whether the water is safe for recreation. It also adds to our knowledge about the triggers for blooms so we can reduce their frequency. We're particularly interested in finding monitors for south of the Crown Point Bridge, southern Mallets Bay, Inland Sea (Milton and Western St. Albans area), Northern Lake (north of Horican Boat Launch in Alburgh, VT and north of Chazy, NY). 

Click here to serve as a 2015 blue-green algae monitor or to attend a training session to learn more about lake issues. 

We're looking for accomplished paddlers to help check remote Trail locations and areas without on-site managers. All the Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest sites in Westport, Bay Park Beach in Shelburne, Schuyler Island in Chesterfield, Point Au Roche in Plattsburgh, Law Island and Niquette Bay in Colchester, and Mill River Falls Parcel in Georgia are in need of stewards. You can also help mind the Trail by serving as an "at large steward" and report on any Trail locations you visit during the paddling season. It's a great way to get out on the water! 

Click here to sign up as a Trail Steward. 

LCC's volunteers are a diverse group of dedicated people but they all have at least one thing in common: a love for Lake Champlain and a passion to protect it. If you'd like to get more involved in the work to ensure drinkable water, swimmable beaches, and edible fish, let us know your interests and availability. --Volunteering isn't just good for lake health, it's good for personal health. Studies indicate that people who volunteer live longer and have lower rates of depression.

Click here to fill out LCC's volunteer form. 

Know someone who loves the lake? Have a good friend who you play on the water with? Express your caring for the wonderful people in your life and your concern for water quality at the same time by gifting a membership in LCC. Sign them up online (be sure to check the Gift Membership box) and we'll do the rest! Gift a membership at the $45 level and recipients will receive word right away with a special lake card and come June we'll send them the annual Paddlers' Trail guidebook. Purchase a $55 gift membership and we'll include an autographed copy of our award-winning book "Lake Champlain A Natural History" with the lake card.

Protecting Lake Champlain's health is the shared responsibility of all of us who live in or visit the watershed. Play an active role by following specific steps to protect and conserve water around your home, yard, and community such as picking up after pets, using phosphorus-free fertilizer (it's the law), and keeping stormdrains clear of debris. 

Sign LCC's online pledge to formally commit!