Category Archives: How you can help

How you can help, News, Things to do

New & Exciting Opportunity For CPIA & YOU!

Evergreen Credit Union has selected Collins Pond Improvement Association  to be one of the beneficiaries of their 2nd Annual Evergreen Fundraising jetski Raffle!

Howard Lowell,  VP of Evergreen Credit Union  stated ” We hope the funds donated can help your efforts to protect and preserve lake quality, including educating lake-shore residents and visitors.  We know how important lake quality is to the overall health of the community”    It is so wonderful to have the support of one of our local business!  Did you know Evergreen Credit Union was voted one of 2016 Best Places to work in Maine!  Learn more about this local company and their services at www.egcu.org

RAFFLE INFORMATION:
First prize:  a 2018 EX waverunner with courtesy package valued at $10,000+.  Donated by Long Lake Marina.   Actual jetski can be seen in our Windham and Riverside branches

Tickets are now on sale so run down to the Windham Branch and pickup your tickets to support all these great causes and pass the word!  You might even win a JetSki!  How awesome is that! 

Ticket books are available in all Evergreen CU branches. Ticket prices:

Drawing at noon on July 17 at the Windham branch, 785 Roosevelt Trail Full details are here:  https://www.egcu.org/raffle

All proceeds benefit:

  • 5 Lake Associations around Sebago area
  • Portland Trails – visit www.trails.org
  • Local food pantries

Disclosures – are on the web site

How you can help

5 Ways Collins Pond Residents Can Help With Water Clarity

Use no-phosphorus fertilizer on lawns and gardens
Be sure to check the bags when you buy them. Look for the package formula of nitrate-phosphorus-potassium, such as 22-0-15. The middle number, representing phosphorus, should be 0.
Keep grass clippings in the lawn
When mowing the grass, avoid blowing grass clippings into the street, where they wash into storm sewers that drain to lakes and rivers.
Keep leaves and other organic matter out of the street
Again, streets drain to storm sewers, which in turn drain to rivers and lakes.
Sweep it
Sweep up any grass clippings or fertilizer spills on driveways, sidewalks and streets.
Leave a wide strip of deep-rooted plants along shoreland
Instead of planting and mowing turfgrass here, plant wildflowers, ornamental grasses, shrubs or trees. These plantings absorb and filter runoff that contains nutrients and soil, as well as provide habitat for wildlife.
How you can help, News

Lake Environmental Association Message

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LEA would like to share the following message with our members.

Please consider contacting your representatives and signing the petition. LEA believes that the passage of these bills will help protect water quality throughout the state. Thank you for taking the time to read this important message

With 1 click you can help double NPS funds- $10M over 5 Years!

Toni Pied and Tamara Whitmore of Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed demonstrated for LD 178 at the State House on April 4, 2018. Add your voice to theirs by signing on to this petition today. It will carry your support for clean and healthy water to the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee. That committee will vote up or down very soon on our $5M Bond to Provide Jobs, Improve Infrastructure and Protect Water Resources (LD 178) as well as a $50M Bond to Fund Wastewater Infrastructure Projects (LD 1510). 178 will double funds for stormwater abatement (think 319 projects), and 1510 deals with very serious point sources- septic overflows. It’s going to be a close thing! Our waters – from small streams to the gulf – need our help.

This is a rare chance to do so much good with just one click! Please sign on.

Thanks,
Maggie Shannon, for the Maine Lakes Society

How you can help, News

Awesome Benthic Barriers Workshop!

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Last Saturday Jim Chandler who has been a pioneer of benthic  barrier design conducted a very interesting/informative workshop here at Collins Pond!

Jim has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to environmental education as a National Project Learning Tree Outstanding Educator, Maine Science Teacher of the Year and  a winner of the Maine Environmental Education Association Lifetime Achievement Award.  We were very fortunate to have him conduct a workshop for us.

Everyone who attended had the opportunity to create and take home a 5’x5′ clam shell or a 10’x10′ mat for use in front of their waterfront area.  For those who could not attend we still have some supplies left to create more mats and Margaret is willing to help you build your own.  Please contact Margaret Cardoza at mmcardoza@gmail.com if interested.

 

How you can help, News

Free Benthic Barrier Work Shop

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drawing by Chris Cooley from “Diet for a Small Lake”)

Collins Pond Improvement Assoc (CPIA)
August 19, 2017
92 Emerson Drive, Windham ME ( by pond, at the DASH Boat dock)
10am – 12:00pm
Instructor: Jim Chandler of Bryant Pond

CPIA is happy to offer a training to Collins Pond residents, friends and family on Benthic Barriers. It’s a mat that is placed on the bottom of a lake and is one method used to help prevent the growth of invasive plants.

Jim is a trainer for Maine Volunteer Lake Monitor Program and works with the Dept. of Environmental Protection on benthic barriers.

There is a great interest by Collins Pond residents to use benthic barriers in our pond, so please join us on Saturday, August 19, 2017 and learn how you can help eradicate milfoil from Collins Pond.

A lottery of the limited supply of Benthic Barriers available will be given away, after the training, to the lucky winners.

To register go to CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

For any questions, contact Margaret at 207-253-1814 or mmcardoza@gmail.com

How you can help, News

Milfoil Efforts update

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Neighbors Helping Neighbors Programs

Milfoil Bag Pickup Day

Last Friday’s Milfoil Bag Pickup Day 16 bags of Milfoil was collected via boat from property owners around the pond!   Off to a great start!  In order to reach more neighbors the next pickup maybe via truck at the end your driveway.  So, stay tune for the next Milfoil Pickup Day Announcement. If you have a truck or trailer and can help with this program please contact Margaret. If you would like a Milfoil Donut to help in the collection of floating milfoil please contact Margaret as well at mmcardoza@gmail.com

DASH Boat Operations

DASH Boat had some operational issues last Friday.  They couldn’t get the air pressure above 45 psi which is not enough to use the hookah which supplies the air to the diver.  Do we have any mechanics in the neighborhood that could help Rodger rebuild the compressor?  If you think you can help please contact Rodger at rodgerpatt@aol.

Big shout out to Milfoil pickup crew AND to all of you that have been hard at work collecting the milfoil that washes up onto your shore!