Our series "Stories from the Lake" continues. Lake Champlain has been called one of America's most historic lakes. We look at the key role it played in the birth of a new nation. 

Our series "Stories from the Lake" continues. As that the French and British begin to establish a presence near Lake Champlain, and form alliances with Native Americans, we examine the period of conflict that follows.

We continue our series "Stories from the Lake" with a look at some of the earliest European settlements made possible by the French explorer.

Celebrate the 400-year wealth of music from the Lake Champlain region with guests including Vermont songcatcher Deb Flanders, French-Canadian fiddler Lisa Ornstein and guitarist Andre Marchand, and singer/songwriter/farmer Alan Greenleaf.

As the region gets ready to observe the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's arrival here, VPR is reflecting on how the French explorer has shaped our shared history and culture.

A new book published by Adirondack Life takes a comprehensive look at the history and culture of Lake Champlain.

We can't begin to understand Samuel de Champlain's historic exploration of the lake that bears his name without a realization that thousands of years before his arrival the lake was a very different place...an ocean.

One man is making the celebration of the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's exploration of the region, literally, a moving one. Kevin Dann is a professor of History at Plattsburgh State University.

Songwriter Pete Sutherland joins Jane Lindholm during Vermont Edition to perform two ballads written by students for the Young Writers Project to mark the Champlain Quadricentennial.

Fran Stoddard is taking part in the "Quadricentennial Voyage: In Search of Samuel de Champlain's France," a ten-day journey for friends of Burlington City Arts to learn more about the routes of the French explorer in France. 

The League of Cities and Towns has joined with the Douglas Administration to overturn a law that could force towns to spend more to clean up Lake Champlain. They say complying with the law would be too costly. But environmentalists say everyone must chip in to get a cleaner lake. VPR's John Dillon reports:

A bill that would ease restrictions on sewage treatment plants in the Lake Champlain watershed is making headway in the Statehouse. The bill would also exempt composting facilities from Act 250 jurisdiction. That provision has some advocates questioning what compost has to do with Lake Champlain.

It will take at least 10 years to clean up Lake Champlain.That's according to a new plan from the Agency of Natural Resources that focuses attention on cutting pollution in the northern part of the lake. The ten-year time frame is a retreat from the state's previous goal, which called for reaching pollution reduction targets by 2009.

The Douglas Administration wants lawmakers to repeal a law that could lead to tougher pollution targets for Lake Champlain. The repeal idea has the support of business groups and some lake communities. But environmentalists say tighter controls are needed because the current clean up effort is not working fast enough.

Untreated sewage continues to pour into public waters around the state - especially into the Lake Champlain basin. The reason is that treatment systems are sometimes weakened by age or overwhelmed by heavy rains. VPR's John Dillon reports.

A new report shows that phosphorus pollution remains high in sections of Lake Champlain. It says that in spite of 16 years of work on the problem, there's little improvement.

Five years ago, the Douglas Administration launched a new effort dubbed the "Clean and Clear" action plan. But the lake isn't getting better. So this summer, research is under way to find out why and to figure out what to do.  

Governor Jim Douglas had promised a cleaner lake to celebrate next year's 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's exploration of the lake that bears his name. VPR's John Dillon has the first of two reports on Lake Champlain science and solutions.

Environmental groups and state agencies monitoring Lake Champlain are hoping to cut back on a population of Cormorants.  The birds' population has boomed since the pesticide DDT, which had decimated cormorants and other birds, was banned.

Our series of summer programs continues with a look at how the fish are biting. Anglers and wildlife officials are working to control damaging invasive species that affect our fish population - and they're experimenting with ways to improve fish habitat.

Veteran journalist Candace Page talks with VPR's Jane Lindholm about the impact of cormorants on Lake Champlain. Since arriving in the early 1980s, the big black birds have multiplied dramatically and efforts are underway to control them.

On Lake Champlain, one bird species is multiplying almost out of control. The double-crested cormorant was a rare visitor to the big lake just two decades ago. Now, almost 20,000 of the fish-eating birds are overrunning several islands and are pushing aside other bird species. The state began shooting cormorants this summer. But a leading biologist is concerned that this attempt at bird control could backfire.

The southern arm of Lake Champlain is host to several varieties of nuisance plants. Commentator Tom Slayton recently got better acquainted with one of them.

Here are some favorite outdoor places from environmental reporter Candace Page

The replica canal schooner Lois McClure, and its crew have spent part of this summer traveling up the St. Lawrence River.