Are you a member of a lake association tasked with managing your community’s lake?
Do you have questions about what, where, and when you should monitor to keep your lake healthy?
Are you concerned about water quality changes in your lake?
BECOME A CONFIDENT LAKE STEWARD!
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PLEON LAKE SCHOOL

MAY 19-21, 2023
PLEON's Lake School is an immersive, hands-on, field-based lake stewardship course targeted toward members of community associations tasked with managing their community's lakes. Participants will learn lake ecology basics, gain hands-on experience monitoring water quality, practice interpreting data, discuss emerging threats to PA lakes, and join a network of regional lake associations facing the same challenges. 
Topics include:
  • Chemical and physical characteristics of lakes
  • Lake food webs
  • Invasive species
  • Harmful algal blooms
  • Nutrient enrichment and other lake threats
  • Designing and implementing a monitoring program on your lake
  • Communicating lake data to your community
To participate in the 2023 Lake School:
  1. Please complete this survey on your lake group and your lake(s). The information you provide will help us to better understand the state of water quality monitoring in Northeastern Pennsylvania and to tailor the Lake School content to your needs.
  2. Upon completion of the survey, you will be invited to register for Lake School. The cost is $250 per person. Space is limited so we may restrict registration to one person per lake association depending on turnout. 
2023 Lake School Schedule
This schedule is tentative and will continue to develop. The content and order of events may change.

Friday, May 19

5:00-7:00: Registration
5:30-7:00: Dinner and Discussion 
7:00-8:00: Keynote: Why monitoring matters 
8:00-8:30: Expectations for the weekend, intro to Pocono lakes

Saturday, May 20

7:00-8:00: Continental Breakfast
Morning Sessions: Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Lakes
     8:00 -10:00: Commonly monitored physical                                   and chemical characteristics
     10:00-10:15: Break
     10:15-12:15: Stuff in your lake and where it                                    comes from
12:30-1:30: Lunch
Afternoon Sessions: Lake Animals, Plants, and Food Webs
     1:30-3:30: Session Three (TBD)
     3:30-3:45: Break
     3:45-5:45: Session Four (TBD)
6:00-7:30: Dinner and Discussion 
7:30-8:30: lab/seminar (TBD)
8:30: Movie time!

Sunday, May 21

7:00-8:00: Continental Breakfast
Morning sessions
     8:00 -10:00: Changes in lake color: Greening                                 and Browning
     10:00-10:15: Break
     10:15-12:15: Harmful Algal Blooms
12:30-1:30: Lunch
Afternoon sessions
     1:30-3:30: Invasive Species
     3:30-3:45: Break
     3:45-4:45: Session Four (TBD)
4:45-5:30: Closing remarks and exit survey
2023 Lake School Instructors
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Dr. Beth Norman is the Director of Science and Research at Lacawac Sanctuary. She has over 15 years of experience working in Appalachian freshwaters and extensive experience in field sampling and laboratory analysis. Her areas of expertise include nutrient cycling and aquatic biogeochemistry. She has been the PLEON Director since 2018. 
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Dr. Elizabeth Carroll is an assistant professor of Biology at Holy Family University and is a member of the PLEON Science Advisory Group. Her areas of expertise include aquatic plant ecology and identification, nutrient influences in aquatic ecosystems, and macroinvertebrate identification. She developed and leads PLEON’s Ecology of Aquatic Plants workshop.
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Dr. Janet Fischer is a professor of Biology at Franklin & Marshall College and is a member of the PLEON Science Advisory Group. Dr. Fischer has over 30 years of experience conducting research in lakes in the Poconos, Wisconsin, and the Canadian Rockies. Her areas of expertise include zooplankton ecology, behavior, and phenology as well as the effect of climate change on lake ecosystems. ​
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Benjamin Harris is a current graduate student at Bard College's Center for Environmental Policy. He is studying environmental education and is especially interested in community engagement, aquatic ecology, and freshwater ecosystem management.
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Lauren Knose is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biology at Miami University of Ohio. She is the Student Director of the North American Lakes Management Society and a member of the PLEON Science Advisory Group. Her areas of expertise include cyanobacteria dynamics, harmful algal bloom detection and response, and phytoplankton ecology. She developed and leads PLEON’s Harmful Algal Bloom workshop. 
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Dr. Kiyoko Yokota: Dr. Yokota is an associate professor of Biology at State University of New York (SUNY) Oneonta and the President of the North American Lakes Management Society. Her areas of expertise include environmental assessment, phytoplankton ecology, and lake food webs. She is a Certified Lake Manager and leads the NALMS Professional Certification Program. 
For more information about Lake School or other PLEON programs, contact Dr. Beth Norman: beth.norman@lacawac.org
Financial and other support for the PLEON Lake School has been provided by the Department of Environmental Protection’s 2022 Environmental Education Grants Program. Additional support provided by Lacawac Sanctuary, Brookfield Renewable US and the National Science Foundation (DEB #175427)