Water. Access. Vitality. Education. Stewardship.

Creating future stewards of Lake Champlain

The health of Lake Champlain is an increasingly important issue for the community over the last decades. The Community Sailing Center acknowledges that the water quality of Lake Champlain, Vermont’s greatest natural resource, is compromised and its improvement is vital to the community and organization. Recreation-based environmental education is one of the many opportunities available to bridge people’s understanding of their personal impacts to the Lake’s health.

The Community Sailing Center’s experiential learning initiative (WAVES) for children and adults is to enhance their connection to Lake Champlain. The initiative informs youth and adults alike about the exciting ecosystems of the Lake Champlain Basin through interactive science lessons and lake recreation. This type of hands-on learning and on-the-water activity engages and empowers people to become future stewards of Lake Champlain, improving its water quality by changing perceptions and behavior.

In 2011 the WAVES initiative will:

• Implement youth and adult ecology education throughout all our sailing courses and camps
• Work with local schools to teach students the importance of lake stewardship and ecology through hands on environmental education lessons reinforced by on-water recreation activities.
• Host harbor clean-up days – utilizing canoes, kayaks and paddleboards to access all areas of Burlington Harbor in order to clean up trash and debris.
• Monitor water quality through partnership with state-based LAY monitoring program.
• Minimize impact on the natural world by:
  • increased recycling and composting programs
  • maintaining an on-site compost system
  • use eco-friendly office supplies

Floating Classrooms

For more information on our School Field Trips and afterschool Science and Sailing programs please see our Education Page.