To honour the memory of Deborah Battigelli, her family established The Deborah Battigelli Memorial Fund at the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation.  This Fund honours Deborah’s love of life at the lake and her interest to preserve the lake area for future generations to continue to enjoy what she loved.  The Fund assists the up-and-coming generation of scientists with their research on our lakes with limited travel support to present their research at the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum.  We are pleased to announce that two deserving graduate students will received Deborah Battigelli Memorial Fund awards to present at the Forum in 2023.

Battigelli Award - 2023 Recipient Kaela Natwora

Kaela Natwora, PhD. candidate at the University of Minnesota Duluth Large Lakes Observatory, is a recipient of the 2023 Deborah Battigelli Memorial Award. Presented by the Foundation, on behalf of the Battigelli family, this Award provides financial assistance to graduate students to present their research at the annual International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum.

Kaela's research is improving our understanding of how nutrients, specifically atmospheric nitrogen promotes and sustains cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) and potentially fuels toxin production in the south basin of Lake of the Woods.

Kaela will deliver a presentation at the Forum titled "Nitrogen fixation may offset nitrogen demands in Lake of the Woods cHABs, and molecular techniques reveal species responsible for toxin production".

Battigelli Award - 2023 Recipient Ben Wood

James Benjamin (Ben) Wood, MSc. candidate at Lakehead University, is a recipient of the 2023 Deborah Battigelli Memorial Award. Presented by the Foundation, on behalf of the Battigelli family, this Award provides financial assistance to graduate students to present their research at the annual International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum.

Ben's research is improving our understanding of how the invasive spiny water flea impacts the growth of walleye and also accumulation of mercury in these important fish that we love to eat.  

Ben will deliver a presentation at the Forum titled "Impacts of Invasive Spiny Water Flea (Bythotrephes cederstroemi) on Mercury Accumulation in Northern Ontario Walleye".