This past month serving in the LRCC has been a unique and rewarding experience. Of my five colleagues, I am the only member to have lived locally to Squam Lake and the surrounding Lakes Region for well over a decade before joining the LRCC. I spent many summers kayaking in both Newfound and Squam Lake, hiking the Rattlesnake network to photograph the autumn foliage, and spent my winters skiing at Ragged Mountain.
Prior to joining the LRCC at the Squam Lakes Association, I attended Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH where I was part of a team of six students that performed an in-depth water quality assessment of Kezar Lake in Sutton, NH. This lake is known to local community members for its long standing history of eutrophication and toxic algal blooms directly linked to the careless disposal of harmful waste. I was trained in performing both field and laboratory analyses of various water quality parameters that serve as indicators for the overall health of the lake, as well as how to convey complicated scientific data to a general audience. I was able to witness firsthand how this long-term program provided local community members with a better understanding of how they can take better care of their watershed for years to come. Our work with the Kezar Lake community served as invaluable experience for the service I have conducted thus far with the LRCC in regards to water quality.
Having spent the vast majority of my life in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, I feel an incredibly close connection to the land, its waters, mountains, and everything else in between. This region has given me childhood memories that I still cherish to this day decades later. Now as an LRCC member, I feel as though I am now able to give back to the Squam Lake community through the means of environmental stewardship. I hope to bring my past experience and passion to this position to maintain the integrity of the Squam watershed for many years to come.
Kat is a Full-Term serving at the Squam Lakes Association as a Watershed Resources Assistant. When she isn’t serving around Squam, you might find her skiing or kayaking depending on the season. Learn more about Kat here!