\n\tOn Friday, March 21, the University of Vermont\u2019s first-ever\u00a0World Water Day\u00a0celebration was hosted by Lake Champlain Sea Grant, the UVM Water Resources Institute, and the Vermont Water Resources and Lake Studies Center. Recognized around the globe, World Water Day is an annual United Nations Observance that raises awareness about the importance of freshwater and the need to protect this vital resource. Since 1993, this observance aims to tackle the global water crisis and raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water.<\/p>\n
\n\tThis year\u2019s theme, designated by the United Nations the role of\u00a0glaciers\u00a0in maintaining global freshwater supplies. While glaciers aren\u2019t found in the Lake Champlain Basin, the event used the opportunity to share a more local concern:\u00a0warming winters in the Northeast.<\/p>\n
\n\tDr. Alix Contosta, an ecosystem ecologist from the University of New Hampshire, spoke to an engaged audience of around 50 people, and explained what exactly scientists mean when they reference \u201cwarming winters\u201d. Contosta\u2019s talk focused on the\u00a0vernal window\u2014the short period between when snow has melted but before trees have fully leafed out. This window is important for many understory plants, which take advantage of full sunlight to begin growing before the forest canopy returns.<\/p>\n
\n\tDespite the sunny afternoon, Contosta reminded the audience that snow passed through the Champlain Valley just the night before but melted with the strong spring sunshine\u2014a familiar sign of the shifting seasons and an indicator that we were in the vernal window. Dr. Contosta\u2019s research shows that this window is\u00a0lengthening\u00a0as the region experiences\u00a0warmer, less snowy winters. These changes may significantly impact plant growth patterns, forest dynamics, and broader ecological processes like\u00a0water flow, carbon uptake, and nutrient cycling.<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter the keynote, attendees enjoyed a lively Q&A session, followed by networking and tabling with regional partners. Representatives from the\u00a0Rubenstein Laboratory,\u00a0Northern Woodlands Magazine,\u00a0Adirondack Watershed Institute,\u00a0Vermont Rural Water,\u00a0Lake Champlain Committee, and the\u00a0UVM Spatial Analysis Lab\u00a0were on hand to share how their work supports clean water and healthy ecosystems across the Lake Champlain Basin and beyond.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cAs an inaugural World Water Day celebration, this event did a great job of connecting global issues to our local context. Our speaker and partners really engaged the audience and showcased the myriad connections between water, the environment, and local communities. Overall, this event was a great way to start a new tradition at UVM,\u201d said Anne Jefferson, Lake Champlain Sea Grant director.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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