Local man wins Volunteer of the Year award

CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. — Bruce Kosugi, part of the Charlie Lake Conservation Society, has won the BC Lake Stewardship Society’s (BCLSS) 2022 Volunteer of the Year award.

BCLSS said the award recognizes individuals and groups for their volunteer efforts that demonstrate BCLSS’s values of preservation, protection, and restoration of lakes throughout the province.

Kosugi is one of the founding members of the Charlie Lake Conservation Society (CLCS) and has remained active since the group’s inception in 1996.

In 2022, the CLCS finished a survey of blue-green algae in Charlie Lake, with many volunteer hours involved. In March, Kosugi presented his findings to the Peace River Regional District with recommendations for an active monitoring program.

The CLCS brought back the Bat Walk in August 2022 for the third year to inform the public of the importance of bats in the area.

BCLSS said it is grateful for Kosugi’s volunteer efforts in stewarding Charlie Lake and keeping his community engaged.

Alongside Kosugi, Whistler Lakes Conservation Association also received the award.

For more information on CLCS, visit their website.