According to the Oakland County Water Commissioner’s Office, there are more than 50 lakes throughout the Oxford/Addison area.

Oxford Lake, Erwin Lake, Cedar Lake, Squaw Lake, Lakeville Lake, just to name a few. Want to help protect them?

On Saturday, July 23, Oxford/Addison residents can learn all about how to preserve these precious resources at the “Investigating Lake Ecology” workshop, hosted by Independence Oaks County Park.

The workshop will give residents throughout Oakland County a chance to learn about ecology and the seasonal changes that can impact a lake ecosystem; explore water chemistry and other biological tests to gauge lake health; explore aquatic life to help promote a healthy ecosystem; collect and identify native aquatic plant species and aquatic invasive species and learn how to prevent their spread.

“It’s an opportunity to let people know about their lakes. (They can learn about) some of the organisms that live in the lake, the various treatments that can be performed to help control aquatic plants or algae. (We’ll look) at why lakes are healthy versus polluted and just give people the opportunity to get out and enjoy the lake and find out more information that they might not know, including how to identify our native plants species versus the invasive ones,” said Lois Wolfson, Ph.D, Senior Specialist at the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Institute of Water Research at Michigan State University. Wolfson will be one of seven instructors/organizers at the event.

Other instructors of the workshop are Angela De Palma-Dow and Erick Elgin, of Michigan Clean Water Corp; Kathleen Dougherty and Tyler Mitchell, of Oakland County Park; and Bindu Bhakta and Matt Mulford, of MSU Extension.

Wolfson said that, as part of the greater Oakland County, Oxford and Addison residents have an obligation to protect the lakes that surround them.

“Oakland County has probably the most or second most (number of lakes) of all the counties in Michigan and they have a responsibility to protect and manage their lakes and this will give them information on how they can do that,” Wolfson said.

“You don’t have to live on a lake to enjoy or learn through this workshop. I think it’s for anyone who has an interest in learning more about water, water quality and lakes in general,” she added.

The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wint Nature Center (9501 Sashabaw Road in Clarkston.)

Light refreshments will be served during the registration/check in period from 8:30-9 a.m. and the workshop will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Pre-registration is required. Registration cost is $35/person on or before July 15 and $45/person on or after July 16. The deadline to register is July 21.

Folks can register online at http://events.anr.msu.edu/LakeEcology2016/ or call (248) 858-1639.