US SAILING Knowledge Base

Community Sailing Center

Mission To encourage and celebrate the responsible use and long term stewardship of Lake Champlain by fostering educational and recreational opportunities for all members of our community.

WAVES Initiative
Water. Access. Vitality. Education. Stewardship.

The Community Sailing Center’s experiential learning initiative for children and adults is to enhance their connection to Lake Champlain. The initiative informs youth and adults alike about the exciting ecosystems of the Lake Champlain Basin through interactive science lessons and lake recreation. This type of hands-on learning and on-the-water activity engages and empowers people to become future stewards of Lake Champlain, improving its water quality by changing perceptions and behavior.

In 2011 the WAVES initiative will:
 Implement youth and adult ecology education throughout all our sailing courses and camps
 Work with local schools to teach students the importance of lake stewardship and ecology through hands on environmental education lessons reinforced by on-water recreation activities.
 Host harbor clean-up days - utilizing canoes, kayaks and paddleboards to access all areas of Burlington Harbor in order to clean up trash and debris.
 Monitor water quality through partnership with state-based LAY monitoring program.
 Minimize impact on the natural world by:
    o increased recycling and composting programs
    o maintaining an on-site compost system
    o use eco-friendly office supplies

NSPS 2011
Environmental Education and Sailing
Sailing is a great medium for environmental education. We will be discussing ways to incorporate environmental education into sailing programs and giving examples that can be used at any sailing organization.