Sarah Hammond – Student on the Job

EES rising junior Sarah Hammond is interning at the Lake Stewards of Maine – Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program, formerly known as the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (Maine VLMP), this summer. This scientific based non-profit focuses on community-based conservation while aiming to tackle the question, “how can we sustain Maine lakes?”

Hammond and her colleagues train and certify volunteers on how to test water quality and how to spot invasive plants, which will help them to become more aware of their surroundings. Some of the training techniques the volunteers are taught include taking Secchi Disk readings, which measures water transparency and can display the productivity and quality of the lake, as well as holding Invasive Plant Patrol (IPP) workshops.

“We provide endless information to everyone who wants to know about the many, many, lakes in Maine, because we believe that spreading knowledge and spurring awareness is the best way to ensure the conservation of the Maine lakes that we know and love today.”