Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Pages S4936-S4937]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE STAFF OF ECHO, THE LEAHY CENTER FOR LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, as the coronavirus pandemic continues and
in some places worsens, every business and public institution faces
significant challenges. These entities must make hard choices, adapt
quickly, and ultimately find the balance between the safety of their
employees and those they serve and their ability to keep their doors
open. The leadership and staff of one Vermont nonprofit, ECHO, Leahy
Center for Lake Champlain, has been a model of perseverance,
creativity, and commitment to serving
[[Page S4937]]
the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding creative ways to
bring their important programing and resources to the public.
The center, located in Burlington, VT is dedicated to educating
people of all ages and abilities about science, the natural
environment, and the importance of protecting the Lake Champlain
watershed and others like it. Recognizing the importance of equitable
access to achieving this mission, the center utilizes several programs
that break down financial barriers to its facilities and ensures that
these educational opportunities are available to all. Most years see
more than 167,000 visitors to this award-winning, LEED-certified
facility on the Burlington shores of Lake Champlain. Visitors of all
ages come to experience over 100 interactive exhibits and 70 different
species of fish, amphibians, and reptiles that inhabit the ecosystem we
call home.
When COVID-19 began to spread throughout the northeast, the center,
like so many businesses and facilities, was forced to close its doors
to the public. But though they were unable to welcome visitors into the
physical location, the center's dedicated staff were undeterred. After
closing their doors on March 14, the staff drew on their considerable
skills to quickly adapt to the new remote environment, offering a range
of online learning tools, including educational videos, instructions
for at-home science experiments, and live video feeds of animal
exhibits in order to support local schools and families. They even
continued remote programming for adults. including legislative updates
on water quality work through the Clean Water Network and an LGBTQIA
panel discussion during Pride Week. Some staff took it upon themselves,
wearing masks of course, to stealthily clean out the shelves of the
gift shop and set up remote centers of commerce from their own homes.
Animal care staff reported to work without interruption, and the
turtles and fish and frogs that call ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake
Champlain home, thrived, all while missing their human visitors.
Having helped with our State's great success in curtailing the spread
of the virus, ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain reopened to members
on June 29 and to all guests on July 4, with extensive health and
sanitary guidelines in place. Just as they were reopening, the center
even hosted a wedding on just a few minutes notice, after staff spotted
a well-dressed couple looking for a spot on the Burlington waterfront
and invited them in for the ceremony.
Lake Champlain is one of Vermont's greatest natural treasures, and it
has always been a priority of mine to preserve its beauty and the
ecosystem it supports, which in turn provides an irreplaceable
foundation for our state's economy. I am proud that all Vermonters can
look to ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain for opportunities to
instill a passion for scientific discovery, preservation of natural
resources, and stewardship of the Lake Champlain basin in the hearts
and minds people young and old, even during a pandemic. I especially
thank the staff at the center for their resilience, adaptability,
innovation, and unwavering commitment to continuing this important
work.
____________________
