What Can You Do?
Get Involved:
Jump In! If you’d like to get involved, please contact the LLWA and join us in a meeting! Please email longlakewaters.org to be placed on our email notification list, and watch for us in town and at local events. Our website: www.longlakewaters.org
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As a new organization, we are actively working to define our role within the community, and welcome input from interested parties. Membership is open to all, meetings are held quarterly. We welcome your input!
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At home:
You can help protect watersheds! The fewer pollutants that seep into the soil, the cleaner your watershed and water supply will be.
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Some suggestions from the EPA and others include:
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Fix leaky faucets and septic tanks to cut down on wasted water and pollution.
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Replace asphalt driveways with pavers. This allows for better drainage.
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Recycle your used antifreeze and motor oil instead of dumping them.
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Add plants and trees to prevent erosion.
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Use plants native to the area to reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides, which seep into the ground/water supply, leading to algae growth that harms the environment, animals and people.
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Use phosphate free fertilizer, and bag your leaves, to reduce nitrates in the water.
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Respect hardcover zoning and buffer zones – they help keep the waters clean, and provide filtration for toxins.
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Treasure and protect your wetlands – they filter contaminants and keep the waters cleaner.
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Pick up after your pets, and don’t pollute – it all ends up in the watershed, and therefore our water.
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Check your boats for invasive species – they crowd out healthy native species and create water quality issues.
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Join the Board:
Currently, we are looking for people with passion about the water quality to take a leadership role in the organization, by joining the Board. If you are interested, please email us at longlakewaters@gmail.com for our nominating form, and submit your information by February 7th, 2018. A slate will be determined by the current Board, and presented at the Annual meeting for membership vote, on Wednesday, February 28th, at 5:30PM at the Long Lake Fire Station.
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Board level qualifications include a passion for improving the water quality within the watershed, an entrepreneurial spirit to help launch the organization, the ability to strategize and plan for growth, community connections, fundraising abilities and/or marketing, social media, writing, and financial skills. This is a “working board” – so, if you’d like to make a tangible difference in your local ecosystem, this is a great place to get involved.
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The time commitment is fairly low (monthly Board meetings, some limited work outside of those meetings, two annual Members meetings, and 1-2 volunteer shifts per year), but the potential for impact is high.
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