Swim Season Impacts
In the environmental movement, small victories go a long way. Every water sample leads to new insights, every conversation about water brings further education, and every water steward can inspire others to action. Every action –no matter how big or small, makes an impact.
Swim Drink Fish kicked off swim season on June 8th - World Oceans Day, and for the rest of the summer, we’ve continued to advocate for the protection and promote connection with the water.
Everyday, we’ve been collecting water samples with the help of our Community Scientists at our water quality monitoring hubs in Toronto, Kingston, Edmonton and Vancouver. We’ve collaborated with various community partners on events and programs to help people connect with their local waters.
Swim Drink Fish was born out of a movement to create swimmable, drinkable fishable water for everyone. A movement is only possible because of the dedication and passion of people who get involved. This summer brought about a tremendous amount of determination, collaboration, education and also celebration for the water.
Swim Season Highlights:
Over 700 water quality samples taken
22 sites monitored by our Water Quality Monitoring Hubs in Toronto, Vancouver, Kingston & Edmonton
380+ Community Scientist’s engaged
60+ partnerships and collaborations with various organizations and companies in the community.
Countless, engaged in water literacy
But wait, there’s more! Swim Drink Fish has a multitude of initiatives and here are some of the other notable impacts:
Kingston is now considered the gold standard for what can only be defined as a swimmable city
Blue Flags awarded to 22 beaches and 10 marinas
Over 8,000 beaches monitored on Swim Guide
Swim Drink Fish Director of Water Programs - Gregary Ford, recieved the Canada Water Summit Young Professional Award.
Hundreds of Watermarks collected
Watermarks from the Jack Johnson concert
“The environmental movement can be very doom and gloom, and although it is a very pressing issue, hearing all this scary information can be paralyzing. I think the best thing to ensure a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future is to surround yourself with community members who also care about environmental issues. We can accomplish so much more together.”
- Rochelle Byrne, Founder and Executive Director of A Greener Future
Water is not only one of our most important resources. It also inspires some of the most enjoyable pastimes, especially in the summer! Swimming, surfing, boating, kayaking, beach days, paddling –there are so many ways to connect with water.
The team at Swim Drink Fish team not only works to protect the water and help educate others about the importance of water. We also love to enjoy it!
This summer, the team had the chance to connect with water. Takaya Tours guided the Vancovuer team through the traditional territory of the Coast Salish Nation and learn about their connection with water. Kingston and Toronto tested their balance while doing SUP yoga, while Edmonton spent a day paddling through the North Saskatchewan River.
Growing our relationship with water is always a important. The more we connect with water, the more we will understand it and the more we can help protect it. Connection leads to protection.
What is it like working at Swim Drink Fish?
“It’s been really rewarding to connect with community members and provide them with the basic tools they need to become knowledgeable water stewards. Seeing all these passionate individuals makes me hopeful that Swim Drink Fish can continue growing the movement towards a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future!”
- Madeline Buzzi, Toronto Community Monitoring Hub Assistant
These impacts are thanks to people like you. Whether you’ve joined us for water sampling, attended a water literacy event, provided a donation or shared your watermark, you’ve made an impact.
Your involvement has helped us continue the ripple effect throughout the year. Ultimately, working towards the goal of creating a swimmable, drinkable, fishable further, for everyone.