Lake Blitz Volunteer Spotlight: Lauren Wonfor
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: Lauren Wonfor, who is joining in on the Lake Blitz from Yukon!
Q – What is your background 
A – I’m a teacher and canoe guide and these days I coordinate the Yukon Youth Conservation Corps (Y2C2) in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Q – What lake are you monitoring (including province)?
A – Snafu Lake, Yukon – located on the Traditional Territory of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation.
Q – Do you have a personal connection to your lake?
A – We spend a lot of time in the summer bringing kids out on the land at Snafu Lake and we dedicate time to teaching them about the health of the water. The kids monitor the dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and look for invertebrates for an afternoon and then spend a couple of nights exploring and camping. We hope to instill a love for the water and a desire to protect and care for this special place.
Q – What motivated you to volunteer with the National Lake Blitz?
A – I am super excited to learn more about the health of the water and to help grow a sense of curiosity and stewardship with the youth we work with.
Q – What concerns do you have about the future health of your chosen lake?
A – Snafu Lake is a well-loved lake near Whitehorse that sees a lot of visitors. We hope that human impacts won’t degrade the health of the lake and the plants and animals that call it home. We hope that bringing youth out on the land will help foster stewardship in a new generation of paddlers at Snafu.
Q – What is your favourite bird, fish or other wildlife species you see at your lake?
A – We love seeing loons out on the lake and hearing them as we wake up in the morning. This summer we saw an otter which was really exciting too!
Q – What is one thing everyone can do to protect their local lakes?
A – Pack in and pack out! If everyone thinks about reducing their impact in everything that we do, we can really reduce our footprint.
All photos by Lauren Wonfor.
