What Does ECHO Stand for?
Ecology, Culture, History, and Opportunities for stewardship are the words that make up the clever acronym of the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, but what do they really mean? This lakefront science center and aquarium has strived to educate visitors of all ages about these four aspects that make up the Champlain Basin since its naissance in 2003. The facility contains 3 major permanent exhibit areas called Before the Basin, Land of Opportunity, and Into the Lake. Here I will describe the four aspects of ECHO, as they are experienced in each of these sections. E is for Ecology Before the Basin: One of the first places visitors to ECHO go is the Champlain sea tank. Here guests of all ages can have a hands-on encounter with some saltwater creatures including flat-clawed hermit crabs, green sea urchins, forbes sea stars, frilled sea anemone, and horseshoe crabs. Exhibit interpreters explain that about 13,000 years ago, when what is known as the Champlain Basin was actually the Champ
