ECHO rendering.
Vermont Business Magazine ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is proud to announce a dual celebration honoring the newly renovated Into the Lake exhibit and the restoration of lake trout in Lake Champlain. The ceremony takes place on Tuesday, July 15, from 12:30 - 3:00 pm at ECHO.
The new exhibit inspires public education about native wildlife and stewardship of the Lake Champlain Basin ecosystem. The upgraded gallery features an expanded 15,000-gallon aquarium, updated exhibits, a new presentation space, and more.
“We are thrilled to be cutting the ribbon on our most highly anticipated renovation to date,” said Ted Lawson, ECHO’s Executive Director. “We have deeply appreciated our community’s patience as we have overhauled our lake aquarium and are now so excited to share this space with everyone. The renovated gallery and new exhibits will offer immersive experiences for guests to both inspire and promote Vermont’s longstanding commitment to lake stewardship.”
The Lake Champlain lake trout restoration will be celebrated with our partners from the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the University of Vermont, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Vermont Fish and Wildlife.
“The Great Lakes Fishery Commission has been proudly supporting sea lamprey control in Lake Champlain since the early 1990s,” said Ethan Baker, chair of the Commission. “This successful program, delivered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state biologists, paired with science-forward hatchery work, has set the stage for lake trout recovery. The Commission looks forward to celebrating this—and future—successes with the Lake Champlain community.”
For more information about the event, contact [email protected]. Learn more about the exhibit gallery and renovation process on ECHO’s exhibit webpage.
About Into the Lake Exhibit
Lake Champlain is home to a robust freshwater ecosystem that provides countless benefits to the surrounding community and numerous species of animals and plants. This vital resource requires protection to ensure it continues to benefit future generations. Through ECHO's newly renovated Into the Lake exhibit, visitors can experience native wildlife firsthand and learn about actions they can take to protect the lake.
One of the exhibit's main features is Vermont's largest aquarium—a 15,000-gallon freshwater habitat that showcases Lake Champlain's largest and most charismatic fish species, including lake sturgeon, bowfin, channel catfish, freshwater drum, and muskellunge. The renovated space also includes comfortable seating and supporting audiovisual equipment for animal care presentations.
Interactive displays and interpretive graphics highlight the life cycles and habitat needs of native aquatic species such as American eel, landlocked Atlantic salmon, and lake trout, as well as invasive species that threaten the ecosystem. Additionally, visitors can explore plankton's crucial role in the food web through a large digital interactive display and 3D plankton sculpture.
About ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is Vermont’s science and nature museum on the Burlington waterfront. The Museum’s mission is to inspire and engage everyone in the joy of scientific discovery, wonder of nature, and care of Lake Champlain. Over 30 years, ECHO has taught more than 3 million visitors about the role of science in our culture and lives. Visitors can discover over 100 interactive family experiences, 50 live species, seasonal changing exhibits, and the Dealer.com 3D Theater. ECHO aims to make the world accessible to developing minds in a way that children learn best, through hands-on science play, in Champ Lane, an early childhood exhibit. In Awesome Forces and Engineer It exhibits, visitors of all ages tackle daily engineering challenges at our tinkering bench as well as delight in discovering the forces that have shaped the Lake Champlain Basin. ECHO encourages visitors to view the natural environment as part of their neighborhood and to explore, learn about, and consider opportunities for stewardship. To learn more about ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, visit: https://www.echovermont.org/
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