Making Waves for Wetlands in Stanley Park
Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake are vulnerable wetland ecosystems that function best within a delicate balance. Prolonged algae blooms, declining water quality, and changing wetland conditions signal that balance is under threat, putting plants and animals that depend on these ecosystems at risk. Right now, we only see part of the picture.
Help Launch Year-round Monitoring
This fall, Stanley Park Ecology plans to build on its current summer freshwater monitoring program by launching year-round monitoring of Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake. Community members, youth, students, and our staff will collect water quality data across all four seasons, creating a scientific foundation across a broader range of ecological indicators that reveals where these ecosystems are struggling, what may be driving it, and where restoration efforts will have the greatest impact. Findings will be published in a public freshwater report, putting science into the hands of the community, guiding restoration efforts, and supporting evidence-based management decisions.
Donate Now, Double your Impact
We need your support now to launch the expanded year-round monitoring program this fall. Thanks to a matching gift from Stanley Park Ecology’s Board of Directors, every dollar donated before October 7, 2026 is doubled, up to $12,500, getting us to our $25,000 goal.
What Your Support Makes Possible
Over the next year, your support will enable (tap on section to see details):
Monitoring and Data
- 16 additional water quality monitoring sessions at Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake, spanning all four seasons
- Monitoring of 9 water quality parameters, expanding beyond existing measures to include nutrients, heavy metals, and hydrocarbon contamination
- 21 aquatic biodiversity surveys across Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake, including stream invertebrates, macroinvertebrates, and marsh bird monitoring
Field Equipment
- Acquire 2 portable test kits from Water Rangers that let volunteers and students test key water quality indicators in the field, including temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity
- Acquire a full year of supplies that keep water testing going strong all season, from dissolved oxygen refills to test strips and calibration solution
- Acquire 4 water quality data loggers installed in both lakes, providing continuous measurement between sampling visits
Youth and Education
- Development of a new curriculum-aligned secondary school field trip where students contribute directly to our water quality dataset, piloted with at least 5 classes
- More than 100 youth and post-secondary students engaged in hands-on freshwater science and stewardship
Community Engagement
- More than 200 volunteer hours mobilized for community monitoring
- 2 guided walks connecting community members with the freshwater ecosystems they’re helping protect
- A public freshwater report sharing findings with the community that cares most about these lakes
Make a Splash
Every dollar you give makes twice the splash.
Put Science in the Field
Covers basic field supplies for one volunteer monitoring shift at Lost Lagoon or Beaver Lake.
Build the Field Trip
Helps develop the curriculum-aligned materials behind our new secondary school field trip program that will bring classes to the lakes.
Train a Community Scientist
Helps cover the cost of training one volunteer in water quality monitoring protocols, adding another pair of skilled hands to the program.
Bring a Class to the Lake
Funds one school field trip, giving students hands-on field experience and the chance to contribute data to the project.
Power an Event
Supports one public walk, post-secondary monitoring session, or expert-led education workshop at Lost Lagoon or Beaver Lake.
Champion the Program
Makes a major contribution to the full scope of this work, including year-round monitoring, community science, and youth education, to help ensure Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake are understood and protected for years to come.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Stanley Park Ecology’s Board of Directors has committed to matching every donation to this campaign dollar for dollar, up to $12,500. That means every gift made before October 7 has twice the impact.
This campaign will expand Stanley Park Ecology’s existing freshwater monitoring program at Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake to run year-round for the first time creating the first complete and expanded baseline dataset for these ecosystems. Funds will support field equipment and supplies, water quality sampling, community science programs, youth field trips, volunteer events, and public education.
Right now, restoration decisions about Stanley Park’s lakes are made without a full picture of their health across the seasons. A year-round baseline changes that, giving Stanley Park Ecology the evidence needed to direct our restoration work where it will have the most impact, catch emerging problems early, and make the case for larger restoration projects going forward.
Yes. Stanley Park Ecology Society is a registered Canadian charity, and you will be automatically issued a tax receipt right after your donation is made.
Share this campaign with someone who loves Stanley Park. Volunteer with Stanley Park Ecology‘s monitoring and stewardship programs. Follow us on social media for updates from the field. Every action helps.