About

A Lake Stewards’ update from Rob Messervey

Presented to members at the Lake Stewards AGM held September 24, 2020.

Hello everyone:

In case you were not able to take part in our Annual General Meeting on September 24, I would like to bring you up to date with our planning initiatives and current work. Below is a summary.

The original planning:

Starting in late 2019, the Board began development of a new Strategic Plan to guide our priorities and actions and critical collaborations within the community and partner organizations over the next 3 years. The development of the plan was guided by input from a public meeting, and consultations with senior staff from the Township of Scugog and Kawartha Conservation. We also received input via our posting of the draft plan on our website.

  • The Plan was approved by the Board in February, 2020 and broadly disseminated.
  • The Plans sets our Vision as “ A healthy Lake Scugog and Watershed”. Our mission “Through Effective Research, engagement, communications and education, we will build awareness and participation with the community on focused efforts to enhance the lake and watershed environment”.
  • The Plan focuses on six (6) specific goals and related objectives — Alignment, Research and Monitoring, Projects, Communications and Education Strategy, Governance Refinement, and Membership Increase.

Our Priorities going forward – there are many, but I will identify just a few key of our priorities going forward:

  • strengthening collaboration and engagement with all key stakeholders and agencies
  • Coordinating and supporting scientific research and monitoring programs with key stakeholders and residents and fostering community involvement in research and monitoring programs; broaden public understanding of the lake and watershed
  • Support implementation of the LSEP within the mandate of the organization, support community engagement, and lead the fundraising effort, and communicate progress
  • Lead and or facilitate other lake and watershed projects through effective project management with partners. Some examples are stewardship initiatives, such as shoreline naturalization, initiatives on the ORM, rehabilitation work within the lake and tributaries to support fisheries and water quality enhancement, assist the Township in implementing other key elements in the Lake Scugog Environmental Management Plan and Stormwater Management Plan
  • Educate and foster widespread understanding of the condition of Lake Scugog and its watershed and popularize the concept of citizen science and involvement of residents in our research and monitoring efforts
  • Continue with strategies that build community awareness and increase membership and donations in support of the organization.

Scugog Lake Stewards information and important links:

Scugog Lake Stewards Inc. is an incorporated charitable organization. Since we began in 1999 and incorporation in 2003, we have been actively working in three main areas: Research, Projects, Communication and Education.  Other areas of interest in fostering alignments with partners and ensuring good governance as well as increasing our membership.   We are very proud of the successes we have had. Some of our successes are listed in the section “History of the Lake Stewards“. If you are curious about the origin the lake itself, you will find lots of data in “Lake Scugog  General Information” and in  “History of Lake Scugog.”  We have a section on the operation of the Dam at Lindsay, and a special section on the history of First Nations in this area. Also, as a result of our 4 years of lake research with partners, Ontario Tech. University, Kawartha Conservation and York University, over forty short videos were made which cover every possible question you might have about the lake and water quality. They are posted on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=scugog+lake+stewards and should not be missed.

(Photo at left, second place winner in our 2020 “Summer fun on Scugog” contest)

Awards:

  • 2019 Federation of Ontario Cottager’s Association, Honourable Mention, for our ongoing commitment to community betterment and the local environment.
  • 2018 George A. Scott Stewardship Award, given by the Durham Environmental Advisory Committee for “those whose efforts have helped maintain, protect and preserve our natural and/or agricultural environment.
  • 2018 Durham Canada 150 award, by MP Erin O’Toole, for our partnership as a volunteer organization in the Lake Scugog Enhancement Project, our lake research, and our 20 years of work in the Scugog environment.
  • 2018 Environmental Achievement Award, by Granville Anderson, MPP for our long term environmental work to help Lake Scugog.
  • 2015 Individual Conservationist Award, Barbara Karthein, Kawartha Conservation.
  • 2003 Dr. J. Murray Speirs Restoration Award, Durham Environmental Advisory Committee, for work or individuals, groups or organizations whose efforts have helped to restore and/or steward the natural environment.
  • 2011 Mayor’s Honour Role 

Memberships and donations:

If you believe that what we do is valid, useful and interesting, please join us.  By becoming a member of Scugog Lake Stewards, you become vitally important to our organization. As an all-volunteer organization, we spend only a small percentage of the funds we receive on administration. Most of the money we receive is directed to either Research or the Lake Scugog Enhancement Project. Our administrative costs include accounting help, auditors, insurance, printing and hall rental for events. Please support our work by going to Memberships donate on this website.

Volunteering:

As we move forward with the Lake Scugog Enhancement Project and the Stewards-sponsored “Lake Week” as well as for our continuing on-lake and near shore water quality research we will need a wide range of volunteers.  We are also always looking for new members of our Board of Directors to fill various positions. Contact us at info@scugoglakestewards.com and let us know your interests. We will respond to you right away.

Media:

We hope you enjoy this website and keep up to date with our work by ‘liking’ our FaceBook, Instagram and Twitter posts which occur almost daily.  Also, if you have questions, feel free to contact us through info@scugoglakestewards.com.