Checking In with @waterkeepermark and Sadie Caron from Swim Drink Fish
For the Checking In series, Mark Mattson speaks with Sadie Caron from Swim Drink Fish. As Western Programs Manager, Sadie ensures the Vancouver Water Monitoring Hub is routinely sampling Vancouver’s waterfront, analyzing the water samples, and sharing the water quality data with you on Swim Guide.
MM: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your watershed.
SC: I'm Sadie, the Western Program Manager for Swim Drink Fish. I am based in Vancouver, and manage both the Vancouver and Edmonton offices (Fraser Riverkeeper and North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper). I moved from the North Saskatchewan River Watershed to the Fraser River Watershed last September, and have been very fortunate to witness two very different bodies of water that are both cared for deeply by their communities.
I have always been fascinated with water to the point of near obsession. My fondest memories are those spent learning how to row, surf, sail, and scuba dive (among the many other water sports that I've been fortunate enough to try). I've felt a strong draw to the water my whole life, but as I continue to immerse myself in research, Indigenous oral history, and work in the field, our innate connection to water becomes clearer to me every day.
MM: How connected is your community to the water?
SC: The Vancouver community is extremely connected to water. It's so interesting living in a city that is surrounded by many iconic waterbodies. People have strong ties to the Fraser River, Burrard Inlet, False Creek, Indian Arm, Salish Sea, the Capilano, Seymour, and Coquitlam Reservoirs, and countless other nearby lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, and waterfalls.
It's inspiring to learn about the history of water pollution and protection in Vancouver. I think that a big reason why the water quality is improving out here is because of this community that cares deeply for water, voices their concerns when there are problems, and is not afraid to roll their sleeves up and help out. Whether they're cleaning up litter on their favourite beaches or getting their hands wet collecting water quality samples, I am grateful to be a part of a movement that is helping to protect and restore our most precious resource: water.
MM: What is the role of water quality testing in your work? How do you share results publicly?
SC: Water quality testing has been the foundation of our work. We are so happy to be back on the water, collecting recreational water quality samples at Olympic Village. An incredible small team of volunteers and our new Communications and Water Monitoring Coordinator, Imogene, have stepped up and made our monitoring possible in the new reality of a global pandemic.
We share all of our results through the amazing free app and website Swim Guide as well as on the Fraser Riverkeeper website. I also share water quality data on Swim Guide for Vancouver, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba beaches that are provided by the various public health organizations that monitor waters in their region.
MM: Has the health pandemic affected your work? How?
SC: The pandemic definitely affected our work in the Vancouver office of Swim Drink Fish. We lead one of the only year-round recreational water quality monitoring programs in Canada, and rely on the help of a team of volunteers and staff to collect, process, and analyze samples and share results. To comply with public health recommendations, we cancelled our annual Fraser River Cleanup (where we were expecting 800+ volunteers) and put our monitoring program on hold.
Despite these impacts, we were able to quickly adapt to working from home, implementing digital initiatives to engage people from afar. We released our popular "backyard species" blog series to continue to foster a connection with nature while spending time alone or with other household members. We have all needed to find ways to spend outside while social distancing, and Swim Drink Fish's new citizen science tool, Gassy the photo digesting water monster, has been a huge hit for our volunteers. Instead of coming with us to the water, anyone can go visit their closest body of water and snap pictures of water users, pollution, and wildlife. This has proven to be a great way to monitor water from afar. It has also been a fantastic way of using technology as a stepping stone to spending more time outdoors, combating the negative mental health impacts of nature deficit disorder that so many of us are feeling.
MM: If you were a fish, what would it be?
SC: I have a special place in my heart for whale sharks. These gentle giants are impressive in size, reaching up to 18.8m (62 ft.) in length. While they have "shark" attached to their name, their demeanor is vastly different from the ferocious beast depicted in Jaws. They are the biggest fish in the world, yet their diet consists almost entirely of plankton.
While I love these creatures, I have been told that I remind people of the bright, tropical Parrotfish because of my affinity for bright clothing and lipstick. I think that I also relate more to Parrotfish since they spend most of their lives eating algae off of coral, keeping their environment healthy and thriving. I hope that in my work and life that I can have a similar positive impact on my environment!
MM: Is there a role for citizen science in your watershed?
SC: I think that there is an important role for citizen science in all watersheds. Especially since we are all social distancing, we are looking for opportunities to learn more about our environment and engage in activities that can protect it. Vancouver happens to be an extremely engaged community that spends a lot of time by the water and that actively seeks opportunities to protect their watershed. That makes the community perfectly poised to learn how to connect to their water with citizen science tools like Gassy, Swim Guide, and Watermark Project. Additionally, hands-on activities like water sampling are celebrated by folks of all different backgrounds looking to partake in behaviours that can provide essential data to protect their watershed.
Read more from the Checking In with @waterkeepermark series here.
Connect with us on Twitter, @LOWaterkeeper and @waterkeepermark.
