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LOIS McCLURE CHAMPIONS ECHO'S FUTURE
On Friday, May 16th - in celebration of ECHO's 5th
Anniversary - philanthropist Lois McClure made a
one-million-dollar gift to our endowment fund; helping
to ensure ECHO's future for many years to come.
Also joining the celebration were U.S. Senator
Patrick Leahy and his wife Marcelle, who thanked Mrs.
McClure for helping to ensure
that the good work happening at
the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain will
continue.
Said Lois McClure, to enthusiastic cheers, "Buildings,
like people, grow older; and sometimes, like some of
us, they need new parts... I made this gift so that
children today - and many years from today - have a
place to learn about our Lake."
Said Executive Director Phelan Fretz, "It is in large part
thanks to our neighbors and friends that we are able
to continue our mission of educating and delighting
guests about the Ecology, Culture, History, and
Opportunities for stewardship of the Lake Champlain
Basin. We are, and always will be, a life-long learning
resource for community members of all ages."
Also in celebration of our 5th Anniversary, ECHO
hosted a $2 Admission Day on May 31st, as a "thank
you to the community." The day was a huge success,
with many first-time visitors as well as plenty of
committed ECHO-philes in attendance. Students from
H.O. Wheeler sang a special song to the crowd,
followed by a moving original poem, read by budding
poet Adara North from Mater Christi School.
Click to hear Wheeler sing!
Pictured: Board Chair Tom Little looks on as Lois
McClure, Senator Patrick and Marcelle Leahy cut
ECHO's 5th Birthday cake; Students from Mrs.
Juenker's Kindergarten class, of H.O. Wheeler, sing
their ECHO song.
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BABY TURTLES TO BE RELEASED THIS MONTH |
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By Director of Animal Care and Facilities Maintenance
Steve Smith
ECHO stands for the Ecology, Culture, History, and
Opportunity for Stewardship of the Lake Champlain
Basin. ECHO Staff convey stewardship messages in
daily programs to facilitate the development and
implementation of stewardship awareness and
activities in our daily lives. Sometimes the Animal
Care Staff and Volunteers are fortunate enough to be
involved with more direct stewardship activities; it can
be a very rewarding experience and a wonderful story
to share with our guests.
Since ECHO's inception five years ago, the animal
care department has "head-started" and released
almost one hundred Lake sturgeon and more than
sixty map turtles. This year, twenty map
turtles, eight painted turtles, two snapping turtles and
two spiny softshell turtles spent the winter here. In
early June, these
eight-month-old turtles will be released back where
they
were found by Vermont Fish & Wildlife (VTF&W) last
October. Victims of disturbed or excavated nests,
these neonates would most likely have died had they
been left on the beach where they were found.
Through the dedication of VTF&W personnel and the
daily care provided by ECHO, these turtles have been
given a second
chance to be a part of the Lake Champlain Basin's
ecosystem.
Like all the animals at ECHO, these turtles, during
their stay, have been "ambassadors" for their
species.
Thousands of ECHO guests have seen these
youngsters, and have learned about their care here
and why turtles are an important part of the
Basin. If you're wondering why they're
important,
hurry
in to ECHO before the turtles leave. Come to one of
the daily behind-the-scenes tours where you can meet
them, up close and personal, and you'll find out why
these little creatures are so valuable to our ecosystem.
Pictured: One of last year's neonate turtles is returned
to its habitat after spending a winter at ECHO, © Katy
Demong 2007.
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HEADLINE NEWS |
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ECHO Wins "Way to Go" Award - Again!
ECHO Staff, Interns, and Volunteers sure know how
to "walk the walk." They also know how to bike, skate,
and telecommute, which is why, for the second year in
a row, ECHO is taking the "Way to Go Week" Award for
Most Participation in a Small Business category.
Each year Way to
Go Vermont holds their Commuter
Challenge, encouraging folks around the state to
green up their commute. This year nearly 3,000
people
participated, reducing 206,000 lbs. of greenhouse
emissions. And ECHO
was proud to have 100% Staff participation.
Show your support for ECHO and other "Way to Go"
believers by attending the official award ceremony this
Thursday, June 5th, 11:30 a.m., at the Burlington Boat
House.
Pictured: Rosy Metcalfe, Environmental Exhibit
Specialist at ECHO, enjoys her gas-free commute.
Think! Café Serves Views and Tasty
Food
Did you know that Think! Café at ECHO is open to the
public? Located right on the Burlington Waterfront,
Think! is the perfect place for bikers, boaters,
and pedestrians to stop in and have a bite -
admission to ECHO is not required.
In-house dining is not required, either! Why
not grab a delicious picnic lunch to take with you on
your bike ride or afternoon sail? We can even have
your order waiting for you - just call ahead:
(802) 864-1848 ext. 106.
Think! features fresh local food, like our
famous "Champster" panini, made with Klinger's
sourdough, Cabot cheddar, portabella mushrooms,
spinach, tomato, roasted red peppers, red onions,
and a signature cilantro pesto mayo.
Click here for Think! Café hours and a full menu.
Pictured: Entrance to Think! Café, © Fosbrook
Photography 2008
All Aboard for Recycle-Art Fun!
By Program Coordinator Linda
Bowden
With tables resembling an overloaded train - full of
old milk cartons, popsicle sticks, and other discarded
treasures - ECHO's Adirondack Alcove was recently
transformed into a recycled art studio. Ginny Mullens,
Community Arts Educator from ReCycle North, acted
as engineer, conducting the efforts of guests as part
of our ECHO Earth Weeks MudFest celebration.
With the help of materials like tape and glue, plus
pre-used finds from ReCycle North, Ginny connected
guests with their inner creative selves turning
materials that might have otherwise gone to the dump
into masterpieces: from bracelets to head gear to
amazing works of art!
What might you turn your "trash" at home into? Do you
have any homemade projects made from recycled
materials? Send us
a photo of your creation
and the story behind it, to be featured in a future
Update!
Pictured: A Recycle-Artist shows off her creation.
Hometown Hero Shows True Dedication
For the past eight years, one determined woman
pushed through each of the Vermont seasons - on
foot - to be at work by 8:30 a.m. every Friday. Sue
Sharpley, of Burlington, is a Volunteer at ReCycle
North, a non-profit organization located in
Burlington,
Vermont, designed to promote reuse, provide poverty
relief, and offer job-skills training.
As a Volunteer, Sue helps to package, mail, and
stamp the weekly bills, as well as processing payroll
and helping to distribute the employee
newsletter. "She brings cheerfulness and humor to
ReCycle North," said Gail Compton, Volunteer
Coordinator, adding "She's a reliable - and
essential - part of our administrational family."
Sue was recently honored for her work by the United
Way of Chittenden County, who named her this
month's Hometown Hero of the Month. Sue was
interviewed by NewsChannel 5's Chief Meteorologist
Tom Messner for the WPTZ "Hometown Hero" news
segment, hosted monthly at ECHO.
Pictured: Hometown Hero Sue Sharpley, United
Way
of Chittenden County Campaign Associate Cindy
Elcan, ECHO Executive Director Phelan Fretz, and
NewsChannel 5's Chief Meteorologist Tom
Messner.
StoryTime - Now Online!
One of your favorite ECHO preschool programs now
has a presence online.
Click here to listen to a story!
Raffle Winner
The winner of this month's raffle prize of a Better World
Gift Basket, courtesy of our good friends at Green
Mountain Coffee, is Lisa Choplo, of Madison, New
Jersey. Congratulations!
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SUMMER JAM-PACKED WITH BODY LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING! |
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What moves you? Body Language! If you
haven't seen ECHO's summer exhibit yet, then you'd
better get
down here soon, before the summer crowds cramp
your style.
Guests are loving the hands-on exploration
of human movement, from the dizzying "turntable
pirouette" to the ultimate interactive Snibbe Screens,
where you can literally dance and paint with
your own
shadow, then email your antics to family and friends.
To keep things fresh, ECHO will be
complementing
the exhibit with a full spectrum of programming
throughout the summer, with performances and
workshops by Circus Smirkus, breakdancing Rhythm
Riderz, Vermont Frost Heaves, Jeh Kulu Dance and
Drum Theater of Burlington, and many more.
Father's
Day weekend features:
Sunday, June 15, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Segway
Riding. To complement the Body Language
exhibit,
SegRides of Vermont will demonstrate and then
encourage folks ages 12+ to try the Segway, the first
self-balancing, electric-powered transportation device.
Moving your body moves the Segway! Free with
admission.
SegRides of Vermont will be offering tours at 2:00
p.m. following the demonstrations, and there is
limited space available. Contact SegRides of Vermont
for reservations and price. (802) 893-1990
For the full line-up of summer programs and more
photos of activities, check out ECHO's calendar
here.
Pictured: Young guests enjoy the Snibbe Screens;
SegRides of Vermont takes guests on a tour.
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LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN PROGRAM REPORT |
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Information and news from our science and
stewardship partner
based with ECHO at the 2.2
acre
Leahy
Center Environmental Campus.
 LAKE
CHAMPLAIN BASIN PROGRAM
LCBP Resource Room
Question of the
Month
Question: Do any of the fish species in Lake
Champlain show a difference in shape or color
between male and female?
Answer:
The presence of visual differences
between the male and female of a species is
called "sexual dimorphism." Among Lake Champlain
fish, bowfin show the greatest difference year-round.
Mature male bowfin have a black "eyespot" near the
tail which is much fainter or absent altogether in
females. Although male fish are often smaller than
females, several Lake Champlain species show
dramatic sexual dimorphism during the breeding
season. At this time, male yellow perch, bluegill,
pumpkinseed, and salmon display breeding colors.
The fins of male yellow perch turn bright orange, and
male bluegill display brilliant blue fins and a
red-orange stomach. The male and female bowfin,
however, both become bright green. These vivid
colors may help the fish to become more visible and
attractive to potential mates. Breeding male salmon
also develop a hook on the jaw called a kype. The
salmon's kype may have evolved for display during
spawning and to establish a hierarchy among males,
those with larger kypes being dominant.
Pictured: Bowfin, © Mayo Park, North Carolina.
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VOLUNTEER VOICE |
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Volunteer of the Month Josh Lavigne
By Dan Foley, Animal Care Specialist
Josh Lavigne is a great example of how important our
Volunteers' efforts are to day-to-day operations. Josh
began at ECHOwith a commitment goal of only a
few months. Since then he has shown true
dedication by staying on and helping in the Animal
Care Department three times a week.
Among Josh's many tasks are exhibit maintenance,
animal-diet preparation, filter upkeep, and exhibit prop
fabrication; along with pretty much everything else our
wonderful Volunteers do here. Thank you Josh!!!
ECHO has a variety of Volunteer and Intern
opportunities available for all ages, interests,
and abilities.
For more information on our other Volunteer
Programs please visit our
volunteer pages.
Benefits
include reciprocal admission to hundreds of
other
national and international museums, extensive
training,
and the peace of mind that comes with knowing
you
are helping the Basin.
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FRIENDS AND FEEDBACK |
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SUPPORT ECHO ON TOURISM
SITES
ECHO, like so many of Vermont's attractions,
relies
heavily on the tourism audience. Many
travelers these
days are choosing destinations over the
internet,
through online reviews by the general public; we could
use your grassroots support! Please
visit
your favorite travel website - and encourage
relatives
or friends who have experienced ECHO to do so
too -
and add another positive voice to our attraction
reviews. This will greatly help bring folks
to both
Vermont and to ECHO. The following are a
couple of
websites to get you started - thanks in advance!
TripAdvisor
Yahoo!
Travel
Photo: © Jeff Clarke 2007
WPTZ/NewsChannel 5 Live at ECHO
Mark your calendars to especially watch
WPTZ/NewsChannel
5 on
the second Thursday of every month, when Chief
Meteorologist Tom Messner broadcasts his
Precision
Weather forecast live from ECHO during "First at
5,"
"5:30 Now," and "NewsChannel 5 at 6pm."
ECHO Update Feedback
Consistent with our stewardship mission, we are
saving resources by communicating
electronically. We
will never give away or sell your email address.
Let us know if there is anyone whom you think
would
enjoy getting our ECHO Update and please, pass it on
to a
friend. We welcome your comments about this
e-newsletter. Would you like to see additional
topics included or some omitted? Do
you like the format? ECHO wants to know!
Click
here to send us your feedback. Thanks for
your input!
Update Staff:
Editor: Steven Leibman, Director of
Marketing and Communications
Assistant Editor: Grace Per Lee,
Marketing
and Communications Coordinator
Reporter: Britney Thompson, Marketing and
Communications Intern
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