Helping community youth appreciate Our Gem

Lake Coeur d’Alene is truly a gem, and Our Gem community partners are getting the message out to young people from Wallace to Post Falls, and from Spirit Lake to Tensed. One characteristic that is almost ubiquitous among individuals who grow up in this area is the joyful memories of recreating in Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Who among us does not enjoy basking in the sun at Sander’s Beach or jumping in for a refreshing cool-off at Independence Point? All summer long, the lake is enjoyed by residents and visitors alike, and nowhere is this more pronounced than among the youth who live here. The children of this community show their appreciation for Our Gem through the joy expressed on their faces and through the laughter that fills the air as they take in the warm sun and cool waters every summer. There are two events fast approaching that will help the region’s youth appreciate the lake even more, and these events will also equip them with tools to help protect it. 

On May 20, over 60 volunteers and 300 students from six area high schools will be coming together for the 14th annual Youth Water Summit at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. The students have been tasked with researching challenges to North Idaho’s water quality and developing solutions to solve these identified problems. Students from Lake City, Coeur d’Alene, Timberlake, Post Falls, Wallace and Kellogg high schools will present at the Youth Water Summit. They have been learning about regional water quality all school year and conducting research since the beginning of the spring semester.  

The main event is student poster presentations. Teams of one to three students will present their research, using a professional-quality poster, to volunteer judges. Each of the 60-plus judges will be reviewing six poster presentations and scoring them on set scientific guidelines as students explain their research as the subject experts. Scores are then tallied, and the top three research teams from each school will be recognized. This year, students on the winning team from each school will be given a 140-year commemorative silver coin from The Sunshine Mine. 

The following week, May 29, fifth graders from four area schools will gather at McEuen Park for the 5th Grade Water Festival. Our Gem supporters and other community organizations will spend the day sharing the depth of the area’s natural resources with these eager young people. Trout Unlimited (main sponsor) and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will be engaging them with a hands-on native fish activity. The Kootenai Environmental Alliance will be organizing an animal tracks activity. University of Idaho Extension will let them get their hands wet with a watershed activity, and the Friends of Tubbs Hill will be leading a nature walk with plant identification challenges. In the middle of the day, students will learn from Coeur d’Alene Tribal leaders about the Tribe’s past, present and future connection with Our Gem Coeur d’Alene Lake. 

The 5th Grade Water Festival and The Youth Water Summit are equipping young people in North Idaho with knowledge about the region’s water as well as empowering them to help make sure Lake Coeur d’Alene remains the Gem it is for generations to come. 

Neither of these events would be possible without the support of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the Selkirk Conservation Alliance, University of Idaho Extension, the Kootenai Environmental Alliance, the Panhandle Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the Basin Commission, Panhandle Health and our many volunteers. The Youth Water Summit’s main sponsor is the Kootenai County Aquifer Protection District. 

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The Our Gem Coeur d’Alene Lake Collaborative is a team of committed and passionate professionals working to preserve lake health and protect water quality by promoting community awareness of local water resources through education, outreach and stewardship. Our Gem includes local experts from the University of Idaho - Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission, Kootenai Environmental Alliance, Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber of Commerce and Kootenai County.