Glade Run Lake boosts activities in hopes of attracting summer crowd
MIDDLESEX TWP — It has been about nine years since Glade Run Lake was refilled with water after initially being drained in 2011. The lake’s conservancy is ramping up activities to bring people to the water each summer.
On Monday, June 29, Karlee Holmes, a board member for Glade Run Lake Conservancy, led an informational session on the fish of Glade Run Lake. It was organized to introduce young children to different fish species and their identifiers.
She said the conservancy’s early summer programs have been popular already, with many more planned through August for youths and adults.
Peter Walker, vice president of Glade Run Lake Conservancy, also said the events are meant to demonstrate what kind of activity is possible at the lake.
“It's also about making sure people in the community know the lake is here,” Walker said. “I just love it when I see families down there fishing and 3-year-olds fishing.”
Glade Run Lake is off Lake Road in Middlesex Township. It includes a pavilion near the shore, plus a fishing pier that is open to everyone.
The activity Monday took place at the pavilion, where Holmes had live fish in a tank for children to look at as she explained their traits.
Walker said conservancy officials plan the public events that take place at the lake but they sometimes bring in professionals who are experts on a certain topic. The conservancy also consistently makes sure the lake is in good shape, testing the water and maintaining the watershed to keep it healthy.
“The main work is keeping those trails up to speed, keeping the place looking good and trying to protect the watershed around the lake so it doesn't get polluted,” Walker said.
As Walker explained, the conservancy hosts events for free with a goal of getting more people to contribute to its upkeep. The volunteer-run organization does it all with the people it has on its board, according to Walker.
Celebrate the Lake is the conservancy’s signature event at Glade Run Lake. Walker said this year’s free event is even bigger than last year’s. It takes place Aug. 1 and will celebrate all things Glade Run.
“We've got twice as many vendors as we did last year,” Walker said. “We'll have live music, food trucks, face painting. It should just be a really nice day to hang out.”
Christina Handley, event director for Celebrate the Lake, said a new addition to the event this year is a butterfly release, which will take place at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 1. Attendees can sponsor a painted lady butterfly of their own for $6 each, and watch as they fly into their air from Glade Run Lake.
“This will help with the pollinator population and getting more butterflies into the park,” Handley said.
For more information on the Glade Run Lake Conservancy and its programming, visit its website at gladerunlakeconservancy.org.
