April J. Markiewicz — Read The Dirt Read The Dirt

April J. Markiewicz

April J. Markiewicz    I first became interested in Lake Whatcom as an employee in the Institute for Watershed Studies (IWS) at Western Washington University in the late 1980s. IWS, under contract with the city of Bellingham, has been monitoring the lake since the 1960s. One of my job duties was to collect, process, and analyze lake samples as part of the monitoring program. During that time I gained first hand, scientific-based knowledge about the lake’s water quality degradation. As one of the 96,000 area residents that drinks Lake Whatcom water I have a very strong interest in actions being taken to clean up and restore this invaluable resource in my community, even after I changed jobs in 1991. As a result, in 2001 I joined the newly formed grassroots organization, People for Lake Whatcom and currently serve as its president. In 2004 I volunteered and was appointed to serve on the city of Bellingham’s Lake Whatcom Watershed Advisory Board, on which I am still a member. I am also the Associate Director/Toxicologist II at the Institute of Environmental Toxicology at Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington University