Did you know that July is Lakes Appreciation Month? Established by the North American Lake Management Society over twenty years ago, Lakes Appreciation Month is an annual celebration of all inland bodies of water. Iowa established Lakes Appreciation Month in 2019.

Looking for a way to celebrate Lakes Appreciation Month? Try something from this list from the North American Lake Management Society:

• Organize a shoreline cleanup
• Develop an educational self-guided lake tour
• Organize a hike or biking event with a focus on your local lake
• Reach out to a local restaurant about hosting a “Lakes Appreciation Night” with a percentage of the proceeds donated to your local lake association
• Enjoy your local lake, pond, or reservoir with fun summertime activities, such as: boating, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, or rowing; swimming; SCUBA diving; fishing; or enjoying the natural scenery with friends and family
• Help monitor your local waterbody or watershed
• If you manage a lake, host an activity. Bring enough sampling gear, id keys and other materials for everyone to join in.
• If you don’t manage a lake, ask your local lake agency about shadowing a lake manager for a day
• Start a watershed storm drain stenciling program
• Have your septic system pumped if you live close to a waterbody
• Go birding or take pictures at a lake or pond (don’t forget your mask!)
• Tap into your artistic side and draw or paint a lake scene for your home or office. Be sure to send us a copy!
• Organize a lake field trip for students

Looking for more resources? Check out Libraries Love Lakes, an outreach project established in 2019 that was inspired by NE GLEON (the Northeast Global Lake Ecological Observation Network).

Want a physical material to check out? We’ve gathered a list of nonfiction titles about lakes available at the Davenport Public Library.

• Lakes and Rivers: A Freshwater Web of Life by Philip Johansson
• Midwest & the Great Lakes: Best Road Trips: Escapes on the Open Road
• Great Lakes & Midwest USA’s National Parks  by Regis St. Louis – Lonely Planet Guidebooks
• Ghost Ships, Gales and Forgotten Tales: True Adventures of the Great Lakes by Wes Oleszewski
• Water is Water: A Book about the Water Cycle by Miranda Paul
• What’s Great About Iowa? by Kristin Marciniak