Adirondack Water Week kicks off on Friday, August 5th and runs through Sunday, August 14th this year. The 3rd annual event celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, historic legislation that protected our nation’s water resources.
Adirondack Water Week is a collaboration involving several organizations and businesses and features more than two dozen programs across the Adirondack region. The program is coordinated by the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute and is funded in part by a 2022 Special Programs Grant from the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership.
One of this year’s highlights is the Adirondack Watershed Challenge, a family event encouraging people to get outside and celebrate time spent on Adirondack waters.
“The challenge lets families work through a list of fun activities that they can do in their own town”, said Tom Collins, AWI’s education and outreach program specialist and the Water Week coordinator. “Visit a local lake or pond, take a picture of wildlife, pick up litter from the shoreline, and eat local ice cream”.
After an adventure, the public can tag #adirondackwaterweek on social media for a chance to win a self-guided paddling trip on Lower Saranac Lake courtesy of Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters.
Other 2022 Water Week highlights include:
Water – An Incredible Journey: Dr. Neil Murphy, past president of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, presents about the history of Adirondack waters on August 8th.
Sips and Science: Meet the AWI scientists working on the issues facing our waterways as you sip on your favorite beverage at the Hotel Saranac on August 10th.
Clean Water Act at 50: Executive director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Susan Evans McClure, will present a fascinating historic perspective of the founding, impact, and legacy of the Clean Water Act in the Adirondacks on August 11th, virtual event.
Water Hub: Families can find interactive play stations at the Innovation Hub on Main Street in Lake Placid on Friday, August 12th, including a virtual reality experience, a self-guided watershed walk, and water-based games.
Wool and Water: This unique project is led by AWI’s director of science and fiber artist, Michale Glennon. The project visualizes changing water conditions through knitting and crocheting. Michale’s work will be displayed in multiple communities and she will be presenting her work and hosting a public workshop at the Innovation Hub in Lake Placid on August 12 and 13th.
Family activities: Family activities are offered all week online and at multiple locations during water week including in Inlet, Lake Placid, the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, Lake George, Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center, and Saratoga Lake.
“This annual celebration grew from a week-long, online speaker series during the height of the pandemic in 2020,” said Zoë Smith, deputy director of AWI. “Seeing Water Week grow into a regional event that involves so many partners and reaches across the Adirondacks has been uplifting and very satisfying”.
“Fifty years ago, the Clean Water Act established water quality standards and set pollution regulations”, added Collins. “What better time to recognize the significance of this historic decision than during Water Week”.
All events are open to the general public and a full schedule can be found on the Water Week calendar a at adkwatershed.org/adirondack-water-week.
The mission of the Adirondack Watershed Institute is to protect clean water, conserve habitat, and support the health and well-being of the people in the Adirondacks through scientific inquiry, stewardship, and real world experiences, adkwatershed.org.
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