Lake Blitz Volunteer Spotlight: Lily Liang
The Lake Blitz Volunteer Spotlight series gives us the opportunity to show appreciation for our remarkable Lake Blitz volunteers. From B.C. to Nova Scotia, 442 volunteers signed up to create a snapshot of lake health from May to September 2023 by collecting temperature readings and taking photos of the lake they’ve decided to monitor to better understand climate impacts.
We are excited to present our latest volunteer to be featured in this series: Lily Liang, who is joining in on the Lake Blitz from B.C.!
Q – What is your background
A – I’ve always loved animals and have really gotten into wildlife photography and citizen science in the past two years! I upload my photos to iNaturalist, a lot of which are taken at the lake I monitor. I am currently a senior in high school and will be working towards a BSc in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology starting this fall.
Q – What lake are you monitoring?
A – Mclean Ponds (sometimes written at Maclean Ponds) in Langley Township, B.C.
Q – Do you have a personal connection to your lake?
A – When I was younger, I would attend a summer camp at the campsite next to Mclean Ponds every year. We would go out on canoes and see beavers and fish in the water. Those memories make the pond special to me and is the main reason I chose to monitor this location.
Q – What motivated you to volunteer with the National Lake Blitz?
A – Last spring, I was doing all of my high school courses online so I wanted to find a reason to get outside more and this was one of the opportunities I found! Concurrently, I was creating a plant and animal guidebook based on the area as a project in my careers class, so I would do the sampling and document wildlife while I was there.
Q – What concerns do you have about the future health of your chosen lake?
A – I am concerned that if there is another heat wave, the aquatic species will be negatively impacted because it is a relatively small body of water. As well, the pond has a large population of native Painted Turtles, which I hope will thrive for many years to come, but I am worried due to their endangered status in the province.
Q – What is your favourite bird, fish or other wildlife species you see at your lake?
A – The beavers are always my favourite to see, but I also enjoy seeing the wide variety of dragonfly species that emerge throughout the year.
Q – What is one thing everyone can do to protect their local lakes?
A – Get to know your lakes and the species that live there and depend on those habitats! Having that connection to the natural spaces around us is the first step to protecting it.
All photos by Lily Liang.
