Join the 2025 National Lake Blitz

Think about the last time you visited a lake. What did you observe? Migrating waterfowl, vibrant flowers blooming along the shoreline, or perhaps invasive Eurasian Milfoil in the water? As a National Lake Blitz volunteer, you can turn those observations into meaningful contributions to lake stewardship.

With just a camera or smartphone and a passion for lakes, you can join a growing network of volunteers making a difference for lakes across Canada. As of March 1, registration is open for the fifth annual National Lake Blitz, and anyone is welcome to participate—no prior experience required!

“In response to volunteer feedback, the Lake Blitz is making it easier than ever to get involved,” said Kaite Martin, Lake Blitz Program Lead. “This year, new volunteers will join the Tier 1 Lake Biodiversity Stewards program, focusing on wildlife and invasive species observations using the free app, iNaturalist.” Volunteers can monitor lakes at their own pace—whether weekly, monthly, or whenever inspiration strikes.

For returning volunteers, the program offers the new Tier 2 Lake Health Stewards option, which comes with a kit. Participants in Tier 2 will collect more detailed data on lake conditions, such as water and air temperature and water clarity. Tier 1 volunteers will have the opportunity to advance to Tier 2 in the following monitoring season after they’ve gained experience with the program.

“We’re excited to build on the success of 2024, where 278 dedicated volunteers from nine provinces and two territories recorded an impressive 24,839 observations during the May to October monitoring season,” said Martin.

All the lake data that volunteers help to collect is viewable on the Lake Blitz Observation Map, and available for download from the Living Lakes Canada Water Hub, an open access database for water-related data. Tier 1 data will also be available on the Lake Blitz Biodiversity Project on iNaturalist.

Registration for the 2025 National Lake Blitz will remain open year-round. To learn more about the updated program and to register, visit LakeBlitz.LivingLakesCanada.ca or contact the Lake Blitz team at [email protected].

Lead image: Lake Blitz monitoring on Kootenay Lake, B.C. LLC Photo

Living Lakes Canada

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