2024 BCLSS Outstanding Volunteer Award

We’re thrilled to recognize Brian Croft as the recipient of our 2024 Outstanding Volunteer Award for his incredible work at Hotel Lake on the Sunshine Coast.

Brian Croft with the 2024 Outstanding Volunteer Award

The BCLSS Volunteer Award elevates the awareness and importance of how education, monitoring programs, restoration projects, and environmentally friendly living contribute to the health of BC lakes. Individuals and groups are recognized for their outstanding volunteer efforts that demonstrate our fundamental values – preservation, protection, and restoration of lakes throughout British Columbia.

Since retiring as a fighter pilot and airline pilot, Brian has become a driving force in local lake stewardship. With a small group of dedicated neighbours, he created HotelLakeAdvisory.com, a community-led website that shares reliable, accessible information about the plants, animals, and ecosystems around the lake. It’s become a go-to resource for anyone looking to learn more about the natural world in that area.

In 2024, Brian worked with the BCLSS to start monitoring Hotel Lake through a Level 1 BC Lake Stewardship and Monitoring Program (BCLSMP). BCLSS staff were immediately impressed by the level of dedication and quality of work that Brian brought to the program on Hotel Lake. Brian and his group represent all of the fundamental values of the BCLSS and we are inspired every day to get to work with such amazing people throughout the province.

What makes Brian’s work and dedication stand out is not just the quality of the information, but the collaboration behind it. Earlier, in 2023, he helped bring together volunteers with backgrounds in science, medicine, education, law and order and aviation to help UBC researchers in a study of freshwater jellyfish, an emerging issue in many BC lakes.

Under his leadership, the group has now been accepted into a Level 3 BC Lake Stewardship and Monitoring Program—a big step toward achieving a more thorough understanding of Hotel Lake and establishing strong baseline data to compare to moving forward.

Most recently, Brian helped local efforts to manage invasive scotch broom around the lake, by raising awareness about its risks and encouraging action at the right time of year. You can see that information at the link below.

In a recent interview with Coast Reporter newspaper on the Sunshine Coast, Brian was asked if he had any advice for residents considering undertaking such citizen science work for BCLSS at their home lakes. He replied “stop thinking about it and start doing it.”

His dedication, thoughtfulness, and team spirit truly embody what this award is all about. We’re grateful for everything he brings to the BCLSS and community led lake stewardship in British Columbia.

Brian and the Hotel Lake Stewards, your dedication and hard work are extremely appreciated and make a significant contribution to the BCLSS fundamental values – preservation, protection, and restoration of lakes throughout British Columbia.

Thank you for all you do, and congratulations!

Check out the Hotel Lake Advisory Website here – https://www.hotellakeadvisory.com/