Memphrémagog Conservation Inc.’s patrol team hits the water for summer 2025
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
With the summer season underway, the Memphrémagog Conservation Inc. (MCI) patrol team is back on the water and along the shores of Lake Memphrémagog for its 53rd consecutive year, tackling everything from invasive species to shoreline development monitoring.
The 2025 patrol team is made up of five members, including biologist and project manager Chanel Racine-Mineault, who is coordinating the effort. “Our role is really multifaceted,” Racine-Mineault said in a recent interview. “We do scientific research, raise awareness, respond to environmental incidents, and work directly with shoreline residents to help them adopt practices that protect the lake.”
Joining her are assistant coordinator Angélique Guillemette, a technician in bioecology, and three university students studying ecology: Gabrielle Bousada, Maëlie Massé, and Sélina Rodrigue.
According to MCI, the patrol’s mission this summer will involve a wide range of initiatives, including monitoring water quality, identifying aquatic plants and exotic species, and responding to citizen concerns such as cyanobacterial blooms. The team also keeps a close eye on real estate development and construction around the lake.
“This year we’re particularly focused on shoreline revegetation and working with property owners who want to make their lots more ecologically friendly,” said Racine-Mineault. “We’ve already had several requests for consultations, which is great to see.”
The patrol also serves as an educational resource, setting up kiosks at community events, updating MCI’s social media platforms, and welcoming the media for interviews. “Communication is a big part of what we do,” she explained. “People often don’t realize how their everyday actions—like mowing too close to the shore or using fertilizers—can affect water quality.”
Working seven days a week during the summer months, patrol members travel by boat and vehicle across the watershed, which spans areas both in Quebec and just across the U.S. border. The international nature of the lake adds another layer of complexity to the work. “We also collaborate with the American group DUMP—Don’t Undermine Memphrémagog Purity—especially on issues like the Coventry landfill site in Vermont,” Racine-Mineault noted.
