The Lake Champlain Basin Program is celebrating World Water Day with a free event on March 22, 2025 from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm.
Learn how to fish, explore the Lake Champlain Basin giant map, see fly tying demonstrations by expert anglers, and view a gallery of student art, media and writing!
Guest speakers Blake Lavia and Tzintzun Aguilar-Izzo of Talking Rivers will explore the power of visual art and environmental storytelling to connect us to our region’s waterways. Over 30 exhibitors will offer hands-on activities and displays, and Regal Cinemas will screen local water films and video shorts throughout the day. And the first 100 people to get their event passport stamped by exhibitors will receive a coupon for a free ice cream cone at Stewart’s!
World Water Day is an annual United Nations Observance to celebrate water and inspire action to tackle the global water crisis.
It seeks to raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of the goal of water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The theme of World Water Day 2025 is ‘Glacier Preservation’. The following was taken from the United Nations’ website:
“Why are glaciers important? Glaciers are critical to the water cycle. They provide essential supplies of fresh water for drinking water and sanitation systems, agriculture, industry, clean energy production and healthy ecosystems. Glaciers also contribute to oceanic circulation, regulating heat, carbon dioxide, and nutrients that sustain food webs across the globe. By reflecting vast amounts of solar radiation into space, glaciers help cool the Earth, acting as a natural shield against excessive warming.
Glacier preservation is a survival strategy. We must work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage meltwater more sustainably for people and the planet.
There is still time to protect and preserve glaciers, as vital fresh water sources and climate stabilizers, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adopting transformative adaptation and mitigation strategies.
The UN has outlined several strategies for mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change on glaciers including:
- Reducing global emissions and transitioning to renewable energy sources.
- Strengthening water resource management: Managing glacial runoff is critical for preventing both water shortages and excessive flooding. There is an urgent need for improved water infrastructure in many areas to store seasonal glacial meltwater, and for countries to improve their water efficiency and reuse systems.”
What can we in Vermont do? Urge our leaders at all levels of government to commit to taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Vermont is currently not meeting its goals. Many groups and municipalities across the state are working hard to make positive changes. You can help by getting involved. As we’ve learned here at FOVLAP, our voices are stronger together.
Photo from Lake Champlain Basin Program website
