Courtesy of Madhu Nagaraja, Lake Erie, Canada-USA.

The Lake Erie Guardians are people who believe Lake Erie is a beautiful, important body of water that needs to be protected. They organize events and instigate community action in order to educate the broader community about issues facing the lake and to serve as advocates for better policies and practices for Lake Erie stewardship.

The Lake Erie Guardians will host the Swim For Erie event.

From sunrise on September 8th to sunrise on September 9th, four swimmers will swim to defend what they love, Lake Erie. Over these 24 hours, Josh Reid, Anita Doppenberg, Michael Kenny and Jennifer Agnew will swim on the waters of Lake Erie.

They explain, “Lake Erie is under threat and something must be done – we have taken on the challenge to raise awareness and raise money.

A treasure to us all, Lake Erie is the heart of Southwest Ontario. However, Lake Erie and its rivers are being plagued by numerous problems, from sewage spills, to plastics pollution, to harmful and toxic algae blooms. These issues frequently close beaches, make recreational activities dangerous, kill fish and wildlife, and even restrict access to drinking water. As swimmers, we have seen first-hand the issues that affect the lake – they know that we need to act quickly to stop the pollution before it’s too late.

We will swim at 10 different locations throughout the watershed. Each swim will be a distance between 2 – 3 km.

We have a goal of raising US$1,000 each for a total of US$4,000. That money will help the Lake Erie Guardians protect the local rivers, streams, and the Great Lake.“

For more information, visit here and here. For information on the swimmers, visit here.

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