Checking In with @waterkeepermark and Meredith Brown, Riverkeeper Emeritus
For the Checking In series, Mark Mattson speaks with Meredith Brown, Riverkeeper Emeritus for Ottawa Riverkeeper.
Meredith Brown is known throughout the Ottawa River watershed as the founding Executive Director and Riverkeeper for Ottawa Riverkeeper. Over 15 years, she raised the profile of the Ottawa River and brought together community organizations, all levels of government, First Nation leaders, industry, and civil society to work collaboratively to protect and restore the health of the watershed. Meredith was a founding affiliate of Swim Guide and remains an active member of Ottawa Riverkeeper’s Board of Directors.
MM: How are you?
MB: I'm doing really well, thanks for asking. I'm feeling incredibly lucky and thankful to have good work, to be living with my beautiful family, and to have access to forests, rivers and lakes. Thanks to our local farmers we are eating the most delicious and fresh organic food. My dog keeps me active, we walk or run every day and typically end up in the river. I feel far away from our families and friends, yet am thankful for technology that helps us stay connected. I'm missing live music and can't wait for the Blacksheep Inn to open up!
That's all the good stuff. On a daily basis, I am struggling with everything that is happening on planet earth right now. It's a roller coaster of feeling fascinated, outraged, saddened and hopeful. I think a lot about the upcoming generation, with the weight of the world on their shoulders. It certainly is a time for reflection, compassion, and action.
MM: Where are you living?
MB: I'm living in Wakefield, Quebec. From my place I can paddle to Ottawa, but have to portage around a sizeable dam on the Gatineau River. The Gatineau River is the largest tributary of the Ottawa River and we are fortunate to live on a hill beside a sizable set of rapids. In the spring, when the water is high, my son Charlie can hear the rapids from his bedroom window. It is pretty sweet to fall asleep to the sound of rushing water and the spring peepers!
MM: What are you looking forward to doing this summer?
MB: Every summer I always look forward to our family canoe trip. This year will be no different. We've been tripping as a family since our kids were babies. We have protected our trip dates (2 weeks) and have started pouring over maps, planning our route. There is nothing like traveling by water, being outside all day, every day. Completely unplugged. It feeds my soul, I love it.
MM: How have the last few months changed your outlook on the future?
MB: I'm typically a hopeful person who likes to roll up my sleeves and get to work. These past few months have been mentally challenging, it is easy to get paralyzed by the enormous challenges humankind faces. The intricate links between nature, human health, and the economy are breaking down. There are inequalities everywhere you turn.
The pandemic has affirmed for me the important role of science, government, leadership, and collaboration. I've grown to appreciate the compassionate leaders who understand that diversity brings strength and emphasizes that we must take care of one another. I'm a big fan of starting at the community level. It's time to invest in the people and businesses that give back.
MM: What is your favourite fish?
MB: The American eel. Such a cool fish. Curious and friendly. Slippery. Travelers. They spawn in the Sargasso Sea and the newly hatched females travel hundreds of kilometres to make their way up the Ottawa River where they live for about a decade or more before returning to the sea to spawn. Unfortunately, they are endangered on the Ottawa River. As they return to spawn they get chopped up by the turbines at the many dams on the river.
MM: Are you involved in any citizen science engagement activities around water?
MB: This is so near and dear to my heart as I started a network of Riverwatchers or citizen scientists for the Ottawa River while I was the Riverkeeper for the Ottawa River. My friend and colleague Larissa Holman has continued and grown the program and I definitely stay in touch with this super interesting and fun network of people. I think it is really important to get to know the lands and waters around you. How do they change with the seasons or with disturbance? How are they changing with time? The last few years I participated in Riverkeeper's microplastics study and with my son Charlie we sampled our local swimming hole in Wakefield.
I'm part of the Friends of the Gatineau River who monitor recreational water quality along the Gatineau River every year during the swimming months. Sometimes I go out on the river with them, my husband compiles and analyses all the data.
I'm super interested in wild, edible, and medicinal plants. I could spend my days foraging and learning, I love it!
Read more from the Checking In with @waterkeepermark series here.
Connect with us on Twitter, @LOWaterkeeper and @waterkeepermark.
