NH LAKES

05/27/2026

🌊 Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our newest seasonal team members, Olivia Murphy and Tori Bamford! 👋💙

Olivia and Tori officially kicked off LakeSmart property tours last week (joining Kat and Sam pictured here), helping lakefront property owners learn simple, practical ways to protect the clean and healthy lakes we all love. From shoreline buffers to runoff prevention, they’re already out across New Hampshire making a difference—one lakeside conversation at a time! ☀️🏡🚣

Here’s why they are excited to join NH LAKES:

💬 Olivia:
“I wanted to work at NH LAKES for the opportunity to give back to my local community. We are so lucky to live in a state that has a little bit of everything, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to make a difference!”

💬 Tori:
“I wanted to work for NH LAKES because I grew up going to my grandparents’ house on Halfmoon Lake in the summer, and loved swimming and being on the boat. I want everyone to be able to enjoy our lakes like that.”

We’re excited to have them on the team and out on the lakes this season! If you see Olivia or Tori during a LakeSmart visit this summer, be sure to say hello! 🚤💧

05/22/2026

Is anyone else counting down to the long Memorial Day weekend? ☀️🌊

New Hampshire’s lakes are ready for sunny days, early morning paddles, family gatherings, and peaceful moments by the water. As you head out to enjoy the holiday weekend, help keep our lakes clean and healthy by practicing lake-friendly habits on and around the water. Healthy lakes mean healthy communities, wildlife, and outdoor traditions for generations to come. 💙

Here’s to safe adventures, beautiful views, and making memories at the lake.

05/20/2026

LakeSmart season is almost here! 🌿🌊

Kat and Brea recently joined our partners at the Squam Lakes Association for an in-person training to prepare for this summer’s property tours. A big shoutout to Pollyanna Fisher-Pool and Kat Greeley (and to P***y the dog, who clearly wanted to be part of the photo too 🐶📸)

Through the LakeSmart Program, local partners help homeowners learn simple, practical ways to protect the lakes they love from polluted runoff and other threats to water quality.

We’re grateful to work alongside the Squam Lakes Association, as well as the Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance, and the Newfound Lake Region Association to grow a culture of lake-friendly living across New Hampshire. 💙

Learn more about the LakeSmart Program: https://nhlakes.org/lakesmart/

05/19/2026

🌿 Is that cyanobacteria… or just pollen? 🌊

We start getting this question a lot this time of year—and you’re definitely not alone in wondering. 👀

It can sometimes be tricky to tell pollen and cyanobacteria apart, but there are a few easy signs that can help.

🍃 Pollen
✔️ Usually yellow-green and dust-like
✔️ Floats on the surface
✔️ Common in spring
✔️ Often gathers along shorelines and coves

⚠️ Cyanobacteria
✔️ Can look like green paint, pea soup, or cloudy water
✔️ May form floating clumps or streaks
✔️ Can move throughout the water column
✔️ Some blooms can produce harmful toxins for people and pets

Before investigating, check the NH Healthy Swimming Mapper from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services to see if a bloom has already been reported.

And remember: When in Doubt, Stay Out! If you’re not sure what you’re seeing, stay out of the water and keep pets away. It’s always safest to treat suspicious blooms with caution.

📚 Learn more: https://nhlakes.org/is-that-cyanobacteria-or-just-pollen/

05/19/2026

Big things are happening at Ossipee Lake! 🌊💙

Over the weekend, Kat met with the Friends of Ossipee, who are taking exciting steps toward becoming one of our newest LakeSmart Communities!

We’re also thrilled to welcome Gloria and Kathryn as the newest LakeSmart Ambassadors for Ossipee Lake and Danforth Ponds! 👏 Their leadership will help inspire lake-friendly living and protect the waters they love for generations to come.

When neighbors come together, real change happens — one shoreline, one property, and one community at a time. 🌿

Could your lake community be next? Learn how you can join a growing network of people committed to keeping New Hampshire’s lakes clean and healthy through the LakeSmart Program.

💧 Apply to become a LakeSmart Community today: https://nhlakes.org/lakesmart/

05/18/2026

“What IS this thing?!” 👀🌿

When Barbara and her granddaughter sent us this photo from the lake, they wanted to know exactly that, and the answer is pretty cool:

It’s an Ophrydium colony! 💚

Ophrydium is a native organism found in New Hampshire's lakes. What looks like one green blob is actually made up of many tiny organisms living together in a colony. They use algae to grow and survive, which gives them their translucent green color.

These jelly-like colonies are completely normal and harmless, and they’re often attached to plants or other organic material underwater.

Nature is full of surprises—sometimes the strangest lake discoveries turn out to be an important (and fascinating!) part of a healthy lake ecosystem. 🌊

Want to see more examples? Check out Ophrydium observations on iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/364058-Ophrydium

05/18/2026

Community, conservation, and collaboration were on full display this weekend as we joined others at French’s Park on Lake Massasecum during the annual spring cleanup! 🌿💙

As volunteers gathered to care for the park, the conversation quickly grew beyond just raking leaves and clearing branches. Residents, town leaders, and lake users came together to talk about something even bigger: how do we balance recreation with protecting the shoreline and natural habitat that make this place so special?

Together, the group identified areas best suited for walking paths and picnic areas, and created protected areas where native plants such as low-bush blueberry, juniper, and other shrubs can thrive. 🌱

What started as questions and concerns quickly turned into excitement and community action. Neighbors began offering plant transplants from their own properties, volunteer labor, and materials to help beautify the park while keeping costs down.

A huge thank you to Devin Pendleton, the Town’s newest Selectman (middle left), for coordinating the event and helping bring the community together around a shared vision for the park's future. 👏

05/12/2026

Shout out to our friends at Lakes and Peaks Provisions Co. for donating one of their "The Come Back" gift boxes to Lakes Congress this year!

The Come Back is here.

For the moments that matter:

• Welcoming someone home
• Thanking the host who invited you to the lake
• Celebrating friends or clients who just closed on their dream place

We filled it with the kinds of things you’d seek out yourself — if you had the time.

We did the seeking.
You do the giving.
So they'll, you know, come back.

Inside The Come Back — $115

• Goat milk soap — Joy Lane Farm
• Hand-poured soy candle — Camp Candles
• Small-batch coffee — Lucas Roasting Company
• Raw honey — White Mountain Apiary & Bee Farm
• Beeswax food wraps — Sewohva
• Handmade coasters — Wilbur Woodworking
• Woodcut Print Post Card for your message -- Woodcuts Margot Made

Hand-delivered across the Lakes Region & White Mountains.
Delivery included. Order at least one day ahead. We’re assembling a limited number for our first run.

Launching March 1.

Join the list now for 10% off your first order: https://lakes-peaks-provisions.kit.com/f5f48fe384

We’ll take care of the provisioning.
You take care of the people.

— Jenn, Jill & Matt

P.S. Do us a solid and tag someone who always shows up well.

05/12/2026

Love Ossipee Lake? Check out this great event happening on Saturday, May 16!