Big Island Pond: A Green Approach to Eradicating Variable Milfoil
A group of concerned residents of Big Island Pond formed a non-profit organization dedicated to financing significant initiatives for weed control, and water testing to preserve and protect water quality and habitat, to educate and promote stewardship of these resources and to act as an advocate for sound environmental policies and practices, using a nonchemical approach.
About You
Section 1: About You
First Name
Rose
Last Name
Colby
Website
Country
United States
Section 2: About Your Organization
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
Organization Name
Friends of Big Island Pond
Organization Website
Organization Phone
603-679-2823 (Grants Manager-Rose Colby
Organization Address
PO Box 222, Hampstead, NH 03841
Organization Country
United States
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has this organization been operating?
Less than a year
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Your idea
Name Your Project
Big Island Pond: A Green Approach to Eradicating Variable Milfoil
Describe Your Idea
A group of concerned residents of Big Island Pond formed a non-profit organization dedicated to financing significant initiatives for weed control, and water testing to preserve and protect water quality and habitat, to educate and promote stewardship of these resources and to act as an advocate for sound environmental policies and practices, using a nonchemical approach.
Country your work focuses on
United States, NH
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
Variable milfoil, an exotic weed species has threatened the rich diversity of plant and animal species found in Big Island Pond. Last year, residents chose not to use chemical herbicide treatment in over 50 acres of this 528 acre lake. Variable milfoil can spread exponentially in a lake because it establishes quickly from fragments. The result is that, in densely growing areas of milfoil growth, oxygen is depleted in the water, and biotic elements are reduced over time.
In 2009, members of the Board of Directors of Big Island Pond Corporation, which owns the water rights to the lake, chose not to use the chemical herbicide 2,4D in treating the affected areas of Big Island Pond. A concerned group of resident conservationists stepped in to organize the spring and summer effort to reduce the infestation of milfoil using diver assisted suction harvesting and hand pulling.
With a grant from the French Foundation, several residents redesigned a pontoon boat into a 24 foot diver assisted suction harvester. A smaller privately owned diver assisted suction harvester was also built to access areas in shallow water and around boats where the large “Milfoiler” could not reach. A crew of scuba divers were certified through the N.H. Department of Environmental Services and scheduled up to 12 dives a week in an effort to reduce the density of milfoil in the identified coves on the lake. At each dive, volunteers in kayaks offered top support to the divers. Residents of the lake provided food for the divers during the weekend dives.
This program is unique in that the chemical application has been the most widely used treatment for variable milfoil. With concern for the short and long term toxic effects of a chemical herbicide, a formidable volunteer and educational effort was undertaken to remove milfoil from Big Island Pond
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Tell us about the social impact of your innovation. Please include both numbers and stories as evidence of this impact
The use of diver assisted suction harvesting and lake monitoring without the additional use of chemical herbicides to mitigate the growth of variable milfoil in a lake system has social impact for the residents of the lake living in three different towns as well as the businesses and citizens who use Big Island Pond as a source of income and recreation.
Because variable milfoil reduces biodiversity and water quality in a short period of time, value of homes on the lake and recreational uses of the lake are endangered.
The choice not to use a chemical herbicide was a critical point for the resident community. This decision led to the establishment of a non-profit organization committed to the promotion of stewardship of the lake. Moving the milfoil management program forward required support of residents and the Big Island Pond Corporation, which owns the water rights and dam on the lake.
Moving forward with milfoil management galvanized an outpouring of volunteer support. This support included the design and building of a 24 foot suction harvester, the training of scuba divers, the establishment of a group of residents to look for and monitor the presence of milfoil in coves around the lake, and a substantial effort to support the dive program with individuals who provided top support, facilities and food for the teams throughout the twelve harvesting dives each week from May through September.
Throughout this process, there was a concerted effort to raise awareness of ways in which residents, boaters, and fishermen could assist in reducing the spread of milfoil into areas of the lake so far untouched by variable milfoil.
Problem: Describe the primary problem(s) that your innovation is addressing
The primary problem that the use on non-chemical suction harvesting of milfoil is addressing is to reduce the presence of the variable milfoil, an exotic weed species, in Big Island Pond. Variable milfoil threatens the rich biodiversity of plant and animal species and the water quality of Big Island Pond by choking the oxygen supply in the water and upsetting the natural balance of phosphorus and minerals in the lake.
Actions: Describe the steps that you are taking to make your innovation a success. What might prevent that success?
Steps that have been taken to make this innovation a success have included the formation of Friends of Big Island Pond (FBIP), a non-profit organization dedicated to financing significant initiatives for weed control. FBIP has undertaken a serious effort to apply for various sources of government and foundation grant funds to support the cost of the eradication effort.
In addition, there has been an extensive effort to educate residents through sponsoring a Spring Fling fair, developing an Adopt a Cove program whereby residents in areas around the lake monitor milfoil invasion, and a series of presentations to residents at meetings to raise awareness of the role individuals can play in the eradication of this biological hazard to the lake.
FBIP has partnered with the Big Island Pond Corporation, which owns the water rights and the dam, to ensure a systematic approach to the management of the lake in the future.
This unique approach to battling invasive milfoil at Big Island Pond has received a great deal of local and state attention. Because of the success of our program, the New Hampshire Lakes Association is now supporting non-chemical suction harvesting as a means of milfoil control throughout the state.
This year, we hope to extend the program through the purchase of supplied air skin diving in addition to scuba diving. Scuba divers are needed in the program but our ability to supplant this dive team with skin divers, requiring less training and materials, will allow us to put more people in the water to significantly reduce the density of milfoil in the identified infested areas of the lake.
Results: Describe the expected results of these actions over the next three years. Please address each year separately, if possible
The result of our first year of suction harvesting in 2009 was very productive and encouraging. Areas of dense growth were reduced significantly. We understand that milfoil, once introduced into a lake ecosystem, will require many years of management and monitoring. It is important that we continue to robustly attack areas of current infestation and that areas already harvested be rechecked for new growth. The nature of the milfoil plant is such that it fragments easily and establishes new growth with fragments in addition to new growth through seed production. Boat propellers, fishing, wind, and current action continue to disperse milfoil resulting in exponential growth.
We are aware that we will continually have to work at mitigating this threat to our lake ecosystem.
How many people will your project serve annually?
1001‐10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your innovation seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
If your innovation seeks to impact public policy, how?
Currently, the state of New Hampshire has adopted a combined approach to the control of variable milfoil. This approach includes chemical application of the herbicide 2,4D, suction harvesting or hand pulling, and lake monitoring. We hope that the success of our program will open the door to the more governmental support for a non-chemical approach to exotic species control.
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Does your organization have a board of directors or an advisory board?
Yes
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with NGOs?
No
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with businesses?
No
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with government?
No
Please tell us more about how partnerships could be critical to the success of your innovation
Friends of Big Island Pond is a newly formed non-profit organization which values the establishment and long term growth of community partnerships in order to sustain the stewardship efforts in preserving, conserving, and protecting Big Island Pond.
We would like to learn more about how your initiative is financially supported. Please explain your business plan/revenue model
Approximately 250 words left (2000 characters).
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
The defining moment that led a group of concerned environmentalist-citizens to this non-chemical approach to a biological problem was the vote of the Board of Directors of Big Island Pond Corporation. Residents of the lake had grappled for two years with developing a solution to the mitigation of milfoil in the lake. This exotic species is spreading throughout most lakes in southern New Hampshire. We could not ignore the problem any longer and failure to address it would result in rampant establishment of this weed throughout the lake system.
A great deal of effort had been put into analyzing the problem, filing weed management plans with the NH Department of Environmental Services and many meetings of the Weed Management Oversight Committee since 2007. When it came time to vote an appropriation to contract with a firm to apply the herbicide, 2,4,D, the vote failed.
This galvanized a monumental effort to attack the problem in 'green' fashion through diver assisted suction harvesting and a broad based education program.
Tell us about the person—the social innovator—behind this idea.
No one individual is responsible for this effort. Rather a host of committed residents provided the leadership and volunteerism necessary to work through the 2009 milfoil control program.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Web Search (e.g., Google or Yahoo)
If through another source, please provide the information
ICRW
Does your project address any of the following barriers to women’s technology access and use?
If you checked any of the boxes above, please explain how.
Approximately 250 words left (2000 characters).
Does your project involve women in one or more of the following stages of the technology lifecycle? Identification of the problem the technology will solve:
If you checked any of the boxes above, please explain how you will ensure women’s involvement in each relevant phase of the technology lifecycle.
Approximately 250 words left (2000 characters).
If women are a focus of your project, how did this focus evolve?
Which type of women will your project reach directly?
In what ways does your project team/leadership involve women?
The core project team includes women..
Has your organization formed any new partnerships in response to this challenge? If so, with what type/s of organization/s?
Has your project leadership had prior experience with the following?
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