Volume 19, No. 1 Winter 2013 Working through the phases: Nile Creek Qualicum Bay Flagship Project Update by Jack Imhof, National Biologist, Director of Conservation Ecology Picturesque Nile Creek. Chris Breaky photo. T uesday September 22, 2009 marked the official launch of the Nile Creek Qua- licum Bay Flagship Project fueled by an initial RBC Blue Water Leadership Grant of $75,000. In September of 2011 Trout Unlimited Canada and its project partners, the Nile Creek Enhancement Society (NCES) and Vancouver Island University (VIU) were once again proud recipients of a second RBC Blue Water Leader- ship Grant as part of a $225,000 award for both the Nile Creek Qualicum Bay and Alberta’s Drywood Creek Flagship Projects. The Nile Creek Qualicum Bay Flagship Proj- ect focuses on six creeks: Nile, Nash, Thames, Annie, Ridgwil, Black Brook and Westglade. These project creeks flow into Georgia Strait, in the Bowser to Qualicum Bay area of east central Vancouver Island. At one time the region was famous for its angling opportuni- ties, including Pacific salmon, steelhead, Dolly Varden char and cutthroat trout. Today the fish resources in this area are not what they used to be, a key environmental alarm. Each of the streams within this Flagship Project has been directly and indirectly affected by land development, including construction along the coast highway. Phase I of the project focused on two small watersheds, Nash and Thames Creeks. Phase II saw expansion to Annie Creek. Ridgwil, Black Brook and Westglade are slated for fu- ture phases of this project. It is important to note that the six water- sheds are part of a significant groundwater source for the area, providing water for both private and municipal uses. The six water- sheds offer numerous restoration opportuni- ties and untapped enhancement potential. The three major objectives of the Nile Creek Qualicum Bay Flagship Project are: • Re-build sea-run cutthroat trout popula- tions in creeks and streams flowing into Qualicum Bay on Vancouver Island by re- storing degraded habitat, re-establishing Continued on Page 3 BOW RIVER MALLARD POINT PROJECT • POLICEMAN & STAUFFER CREEK UPDATES • NEWS FROM NATIONAL Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 1
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Volume 19, No. 1 Winter 2013
Working through the phases:Nile Creek Qualicum BayFlagship Project Updateby Jack Imhof, National Biologist,Director of Conservation Ecology
Pic
ture
sque
Nil
e C
reek
. Ch
ris
Bre
aky
phot
o.T uesday September 22, 2009 marked the
official launch of the Nile Creek Qua-
licum Bay Flagship Project fueled by an
initial RBC Blue Water Leadership Grant of
$75,000. In September of 2011 Trout Unlimited
Canada and its project partners, the Nile Creek
Enhancement Society (NCES) and Vancouver
Island University (VIU) were once again proud
recipients of a second RBC Blue Water Leader-
ship Grant as part of a $225,000 award for both
the Nile Creek Qualicum Bay and Alberta’s
Drywood Creek Flagship Projects.
The Nile Creek Qualicum Bay Flagship Proj-
ect focuses on six creeks: Nile, Nash, Thames,
Annie, Ridgwil, Black Brook and Westglade.
These project creeks flow into Georgia Strait,
in the Bowser to Qualicum Bay area of east
central Vancouver Island. At one time the
region was famous for its angling opportuni-
ties, including Pacific salmon, steelhead, Dolly
Varden char and cutthroat trout. Today the
fish resources in this area are not what they
used to be, a key environmental alarm. Each
of the streams within this Flagship Project has
been directly and indirectly affected by land
development, including construction along the
coast highway.
Phase I of the project focused on two small
watersheds, Nash and Thames Creeks. Phase
II saw expansion to Annie Creek. Ridgwil,
Black Brook and Westglade are slated for fu-
ture phases of this project.
It is important to note that the six water-
sheds are part of a significant groundwater
source for the area, providing water for both
private and municipal uses. The six water-
sheds offer numerous restoration opportuni-
ties and untapped enhancement potential.
The three major objectives of the Nile Creek
Qualicum Bay Flagship Project are:
• Re-build sea-run cutthroat trout popula-
tions in creeks and streams flowing into
Qualicum Bay on Vancouver Island by re-
storing degraded habitat, re-establishing
Continued on Page 3
BOW RIVER MALLARD POINT PROJECT • POLICEMAN & STAUFFER CREEK UPDATES • NEWS FROM NATIONAL
Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 1
Currents: Volume 19, No. 1 • Winter 20122
What is TUC’s policy on… ?
the federal budget, omnibus rides, canoe
transportation laws, a National Conservation
Strategy, pipelines, mines, fracking, invasive
species, mega-quarries, fish kills from pesti-
cide runoff, government reorganization, fish-
ing regulations, groundwater contamination,
logging, ecological flows, what fish should
be allowed where, the declining numbers of
anglers, too many anglers, didymo, land use
planning, sale of water by irrigation districts
and global warming.
These are just some of the things that I have
been asked to state TUC’s policy or position on
in the last year. My dad used to say that where
you end up often depends on where you start.
Where we start at TUC has four inter-related
components:
Our membership: We are membership
based, organized around volunteer chapters
formed to do actual on the ground habitat work
in their own area. Each adult member has a
vote for the twelve members on our board of
directors. Each member has the opportunity to
become one of those directors. The tricky part
is that sometimes our members have differing
views. We have members who believe the best
thing that could happen for Canada would be
that the Northern Gateway pipeline be built.
We have members who I think would stake
their lives on the opposite proposition.
Our status as a charity: Because we are a
charity everything we do must be guided by our
mission statement: To conserve, protect and restore
Canada’s freshwater ecosystems and their cold water
resources for current and future generations. Being
a charity puts limits on the amount of pure ad-
vocacy work we are allowed to do. We meet with
government officials when we are given the op-
portunity to inform and educate them regarding
our members’ concerns and what we believe to
be best for the fisheries resource. Because our
biologists are respected and we are seen as a
positive organization that is trying to help, we
get asked for advice fairly often.
Science: It may sound clichéd but we are
guided by science. Our advisors and biologists
tell us that the greatest gains can be made first
by ensuring there is a sufficient quantity of wa-
ter in a system, second by ensuring the quality
of that water, third from directly working on
fish habitat and fourth from working directly
with fish populations and species distribution.
It’s not always that simple and linear but in gen-
eral that is the way we approach a problem.
Funding and capacity: Donors generally
give TUC funding to do habitat or education
work. If someone says to me that TUC should
mount an advertising campaign to do this or
stop that, my first response may simply be, “We
don’t have funding or capacity for that sort of
activity.” No matter how desirable it is or how
badly it might be needed. The bulk of our fund-
ing goes into habitat or education. And that is
the way it should be.
To guide the actions of the organization
TUC’s Board of Directors have passed policies
on Water Quality, Water Quantity, Habitat
Management and Fish Species and Stocking as
a Management Tool. These can be found on our
website under the “Who We Are” dropdown
menu and then by clicking “What We Believe.”
I don’t believe we need to have published
policies on things like chemical fish kills, in-
vasive species and global warming. Take it as a
given. We are against them.
What’s Going On?by Jeff Surtees
The harder cases for us as an organization
have always been the highly divisive and po-
liticized debates. Issues such as pipeline, mine
and quarry construction, fracking in the Sacred
Headwaters of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine
Rivers in BC and the recent national discussion
over the massive changes being made to federal
environmental legislation including the Fisher-
ies Act, the Navigable Waters Protection Act, the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act amongst
others. Because we want to focus on physical
habitat work, because there can be a divergence
of viewpoints amongst our members, because
we are not funded or legally able to be an ad-
vocacy group, because often things are not as
simple from a scientific perspective as “common
sense” would have you believe — we have tradi-
tionally limited our involvement on these issues
to trying to inform the powers of the day as to
what we believe the correct course of action to
be. Sometimes we are effective in taking that ap-
proach, other times not as effective.
For instance, we have not been effective in
our attempts to influence the current round of
changes to federal environmental legislation
and cuts to the inland offices of the Depart-
ment of Fisheries and Oceans. Nor has anyone
else. All of the changes that were planned and
included in Bill C-38 and Bill C-45 have been
passed unchanged, with some provisions yet to
come into force. We have expressed the views
of our members during meetings and phone
calls with federal officials. I won’t describe the
details of the changes here because plenty has
already been written. For a good summary, see
the Ecojustice website by searching for “Enviro-
law Watch” on your web browser. The changes
are profound, far-reaching, complex and long-
lasting. Not every change that is being made is
bad. No reasonable person is against increased
efficiency in environmental assessments or bet-
ter rules for dealing with invasive species.
But taken as a whole, the view of our mem-
bers is that by narrowing the focus of the fed-
eral Fisheries Act to fisheries of “recreational,
commercial and Aboriginal value” and focus-
ing on “serious harm”, by removing most of the
protections available under the former Navigable
REBUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF OUR RIVERS AND STREAMSTUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL
TUC CEO Jeff Surtees. TUC photo.
Continued on Page 8
Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 3
NILE CREEK QUALICUM BAY FLAGSHIP PROJECT UPDATE (cont’d from P.1)
and improving access to restored, pro-
ductive cutthroat trout habitat from the
inter-tidal area to the headwaters of the
six streams;
• Build and test a model for engaging the
local community and a post-secondary
education institution in the planning and
delivery of a broader area conservation
program with five components: conserva-
tion, youth engagement, science develop-
ment/project management, communica-
tion, and fund-raising;
• Provide technical information on water
resources in the target watersheds to help
the community protect their watersheds
and groundwater resources.
Phase II ActivitiesIn 2011-2012 numerous priority items were
addressed. Since the RBC Bluewater Proj-
ect™ grant announcement in 2011 several
community and team meetings took place.
The purpose of these meetings was to com-
municate and finalize work plan priorities
and identify core roles and responsibilities
within the project.
On October 16, 2012 over 34 people at-
tended a highly successful community
meeting to provide an update of activities
to date and to identify additional landown-
er interest. Attendees included representa-
tives from the Qualicum First Nations, the
Regional Municipality of Nanaimo, the
Member of the Legislative Assembly for
Parksville and the local RBC branch man-
ager for Qualicum Beach.
Monitoring within the project water-
sheds has been an ongoing priority since
Phase I began in October of 2009. As part of
Phase II, temperature and water discharge
monitoring was initiated on Annie Creek
in October of 2011. Nash and Thames
Creeks have had similar monitoring for the
past two years. NCES volunteers have invest-
ed over 60 hours monitoring dissolved oxygen
levels and turbidity on Nile and Thames Creek.
In addition to the temperature and discharge
monitoring on Annie Creek a complete habitat
assessment will take place in 2013.
Fish passage remains a project priority. De-
sign work has been completed on the low flow
fish passage under the highway on Nash Creek.
Once ownership and responsibility issues have
been worked out between the region and the
province, restoration work should begin in
2013.
2012 saw a successful resolution to an old
water diversion on the headwaters of Nash
Creek through the construction of a reconnec-
tion to the creek. The next steps involve the
reconnection of off-stream ponds for nursery
and overwintering habitat. These reconnec-
tions will join Nash Creek’s headwaters to its
downstream portions, increasing stream flow
and providing connections to floodplain pools
and ponds.
On Thames Creek, three major barriers to
fish passage were identified during Phase I of
the project. The first, a highway culvert spill-
way, was redesigned and retrofitted in 2010.
The other two barriers were a perched railway
culvert spillway and culvert baffle damage.
The perched spillway created a small waterfall,
making it difficult for fish to migrate upstream.
Culvert baffles break up water flow and provide
current refuge to fish moving through the cul-
vert. The damaged baffles were repaired this
year as part of Phase II. Construction of riffles
to raise water levels adjacent to the perched
spillway will be completed in 2013.
Development of an improved working rela-
tionship with the local Water Board, who issue
water licences and oversees water supply man-
agement for the local community, was a Phase
II priority. A sound working relationship en-
sures the Water Board has the best information
regarding adequate water supply for the local
community while maintaining healthy ground-
water reserves. This priority was achieved and
the Water Board is now closely linked to the
Nile Creek Qualicum Bay Project.
The Nile Creek Qualicum Bay Project contin-
ues to enjoy strong partner and community sup-
Chris Breaky photo. Continued on Page 8
Currents: Volume 19, No. 1 • Winter 20124
TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL
Sport fish made up 33% of all fish rescued
this year, consistent with the 30% average over
the last seven years. Mountain whitefish were
the most abundant sport fish captured, repre-
senting 28% of the total catch. Longnose dace
were the most predominant non-sport fish,
accounting for 27% of all fish rescued. The
largest fish caught during this year’s Fish Res-
cue, a brown trout, weighing 2598 grams (5.7
pounds) and measuring 58.7 cm (23 inches),
came from the Lethbridge Northern Head-
works Canal.
Trout Unlimited Canada extends a sincere
thanks to all the enthusiastic hardworking vol-
unteers and generous donors that contributed
to the 2012 Fish Rescue. TUC also wishes to
thank the Alberta Environment and Sustain-
able Resource Development for their financial
Trout Unlimited Canada’s Mallard Point Habitat Enhancement Project
M allard Point side channel is lo-
cated at the north end of Calgary’s
Fish Creek Provincial Park. Me-
andering approximately three km before re-
joining the Bow River, the channel forms the
Now our challenge is to stabilize year-round
flows in the side channel by re-designing the
channel entrance, enabling the side channel to
continue to benefit the Bow River, its aquatic
ecosystem and its shoreline habitat.
Restoration projects such as Mallard Point
take time, effort and, of course, money. Re-
cently, Trout Unlimited Canada was awarded
a $40,000 grant from the Calgary Foundation
for the Mallard Point Fish Habitat Enhance-
ment Project. Great news, as TUC continues to
improve Calgary`s water quality, enhance and
protect fish, wildlife and waterfowl habitat.
Despite this generous award, we still need
help to realize our goal of preserving and re-
storing Mallard Point. This where you have an
opportunity to help — through Shell Canada’s
FuellingChange™ program.
Shell Canada’s
FuellingChange™
program supports
e n v i r o n m e n t a l
projects and orga-
nizations as select-
ed by voters. Trout
Unlimited Canada
and its Bow River
Chapter need
your votes to win
$100,000 for the Mal-
lard Point Habitat
Enhancement Project.
To vote, scan the QR Code at the bottom left
of this page, or register by visiting www.fuel-
lingchange.com. TUC encourages you to vote
often before voting ends on April 30, 2013.
For more information on the Mallard Point
Habitat Enhancement project and Trout Un-
limited Canada, visit www.tucanada.org.
2012 Alberta Fish Rescue – Saving Lives One Canal at a Time
T his year Trout Unlimited Canada’s
Alberta Fish Rescue saved a variety
of fish stranded in six major south-
ern Alberta irrigation canals. These canals
divert water for agricultural purposes from
the Bow, Highwood, Oldman, Belly and Wa-
terton Rivers. With the help of 358 volunteers,
37,506 fish were rescued and transported to
open water bodies.
southern border of Poplar Island, a designated
nature preserve.
Side channels play an important role in dissi-
pating energy from the main river channel dur-
ing times of high water flow, providing critical
habitat for fish and aquatic invertebrates, and
connecting rivers to their floodplains. This
delivers essential water for plant growth and
regeneration along the shoreline, creating a
healthy and functional riparian area.
In 1995, Trout Unlimited Canada improved
flow in the Mallard Point side channel by re-
moving materials that had accumulated in
its mouth over
time. However,
flood events in
2005 and 2007
re-deposited
subst ant i a l
amounts of gra-
vel and debris
in the channel.
and in-kind support, as well as A. Lassonde
Inc, Rodney Hudson in memory of Andrew
Mallard Point side channel, Bow River, Calgary. TUC photo.
Top: 2012 Fish Rescue volunteers. Above: releasing a rescued Waterton River brown trout. TUC photos.
Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 5
Fiell, Navajo Metals and Tim Hortons (1341 –
32nd Ave NE, Cindy Anderson, proprietor).
Thanks to the following groups and orga-
nizations for volunteering their time: Airdrie
Hunting and Fishing Association, Bow Habi-
tat Station, BP Retirees, Calgary Bobcat Junior
Forest Wardens, Calgary Women Fly Fishers
Club, Calgary 219 Scouts, Calgary 401 Wood-
creek Scouts, Chestermere Scouts, Hays Mul-
tiple 4-H Club, Department of Fisheries and
Oceans Canada, Kainai Alternate Academy,
Lethbridge College, Lethbridge College Stu-
dent Chapter of the Wildlife Society, Okotoks
Scouts, Parkland Trex Girl Guides, Shell Cana-
da, Stantec, TERA Environmental Consultants
and Willow Creek Composite High School.
Special thanks go to TUC’s Fish Rescue vol-
unteer core, Karen and Chuck Johnston, Jay
Scott, Gord Murray, and Joe Neidermayer.
For more information on becoming a Trout
Unlimited Canada member, or to financially
support the Alberta Fish Rescue or any other
TUC project, please visit our website at www.
tucanada.org
Canon Evergreen Supports Policeman Creek Habitat Enhancement Project
T his fall, TUC staff along with members
of the Bow Headwaters Chapter and
the Bow Valley Stewards completed
a native tree/shrub planting event as part of
the Policeman Creek Habitat Enhancement
Project. A total of 325 shrubs were planted
on the islands that were constructed earlier in
the year. Volunteers also seeded native ripar-
ian grasses to help naturalize these previously
un-vegetated islands. The willows and grasses
planted this fall will help to stabilize the banks
of the islands, provide cover for waterfowl and
fish, and develop a functional riparian zone.
The islands were created during the con-
struction phase of the Habitat Enhancement
Project in which five pools were excavated to
provide overwintering refugia and enhanced
summer habitat for fish within Policeman
Creek. Brook and brown trout are both known
to reside in the creek but face a shortage of suit-
able overwintering habitat as the water levels
in the creek drop during the winter months.
A spawning survey was conducted in the
fall and numerous brook trout were observed
over redds in the reach where the pools and
islands were constructed. These redds were
primarily found in areas along the shoreline,
close to hiding cover. TUC anticipates that
once the recently planted shrubs and grasses
become established on the islands, they will
also provide additional cover and enhanced
habitat for fish in Policeman Creek.
TUC biologists and volunteers will contin-
ue to monitor and evaluate the success of the
project in the coming years.
This project was made possible through
Canon’s Take Root Program, presented by Ev-
ergreen. Photos of the planting project were
taken using a Canon PowerShot camera.
Stewardship License Pilot Project
2012 marked the third year
of the Stewardship
License Pilot Project,
modelled after the successful Quirk Creek
Brook Trout Suppression Project.
Eleven supervised outings were conducted
to qualify anglers for the project authorizing
them to harvest unlimited numbers of non-
native brook trout from seven designated
streams located along Alberta’s East Slopes.
Eighty volunteer anglers were issued Fish
Research Licenses in 2012, more than twice
as many as 2011! This innovative project uses
anglers to help restore high quality native fish-
eries in selected streams, while demonstrat-
ing the importance of fish identification and
how it can be used as a management tool. The
Stewardship License Pilot Project also aims
TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL
to emphasize the difference between native
and non-native fish and to increase awareness
about the problems that some of our native
fish face as a result of the introduction of non-
native fish.
The Stewardship License Pilot Project is a
partnership between Trout Unlimited Canada
and Alberta Environment and Sustainable Re-
source Development. Trout Unlimited Canada
also wishes to thank to the Alberta Conservation
Association and Devon Canada for their support.
Meet TUC’s New Program Manager for Ontario!
I n October, Trout Unlimited Canada
CEO Jeff Surtees announced that, Silvia
D’Amelio had become TUC’s Ontario Pro-
gram Manager. Most recently Silva’s role was
that of Ontario Biologist.
In her new role Silvia will report jointly to
the CEO and to TUC’s Director of Conserva-
tion Ecology, Jack Imhof. The responsibilities
of the position include planning and manag-
ing all aspects of TUC’s habitat conservation
and science programs in Ontario, provincial
TUC and Bow Valley Stewards volunteers seeding and planting artifical islands on Policeman Creek. The islands were created during excavation of overwintering poolslast year. TUC photos.
Currents: Volume 19, No. 1 • Winter 20126
TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL
policy development, stakeholder and volunteer
relations as well as management of TUC’s On-
tario offices, staff and contract personnel.
Silvia has been with TUC since 2003 and
has been the principal Ontario Biologist since
2005. In that multi-faceted position Silvia suc-
cessfully led TUC’s research and habitat work,
including Bronte Creek and Duffin’s Creek
Renewal Programs, Palgrave Dam Passage
Study, Coaster Brook Trout Habitat Project,
and several dam removal projects. Silvia is
well known in the Ontario conservation com-
munity and has ably represented TUC in many
public forums throughout the province.
Silvia can be reached at sdamelio@tucana-
da.org or in our Guelph, Ontario office at (519)
824-4120 Ext 52760
TUC’s National Biologist & Director of Conservation Ecology Receives Prestigious Award
O n Thursday November 15, 2012
Jack Imhof, TUC’s National Bi-
ologist & Director of Conservation
Ecology, received the prestigious Conservation
Pioneer Award.
This award recognizes individuals who have
demonstrated life-long outstanding contribu-
tions to the field of conservation. Award win-
ners are recognized for their innovation, lead-
ership and dedication to the conservation field
above and beyond the call of duty.
There is no one more passionate about con-
servation and restoration — and no one more
deserving of the recognition the contribu-
tion he has made to improving our rivers and
streams over the past 30 years — than Jack.
TUC is extremely proud to have Jack as one
of our own, and for the work he has done and
continues to do on behalf of the organization
and conservation across Canada.
Fall Fundraising Summary
F all fund raising events in Octo-
ber and November continued to
fuel Trout Unlimited Canada’s
coldwater conservation efforts.
Trout Unlimited Canada’s 26th An-
nual Toronto National Banquet and Auction,
chaired by the Honourable Jim Prentice, P.C.,
Q.C., Senior Executive Vice-President and Vice
Chairman, CIBC,
was held at the
Metro Toronto
Convention Center
on October 30th. A
smashing success
with 500 guests in
attendance, the VIP
reception and the
dinner were hosted
by three-time Sum-
mer Olympic Gold
medalist Marnie
McBean, who kept
the evening mov-
ing with grace and wit. Dinner sponsors hit an
all-time high with forty-two companies signing
on for a combined total of $325,000 in sponsor-
ships. At the end of the night, TUC had grossed
over 440,000 was raised towards TUC’s coldwater
conservation efforts in Ontario.
Trout Unlimited Canada wishes to extend
a special thanks to Dinner Chair Jim Prentice
and presenting sponsor, CIBC, for the great
work they did to take our Toronto National
Conservation Dinner to a whole new level.
One month later in Calgary 200 people
joined the Bow River Chapter and TUC for the
21st Annual “Fall Splash” dinner and auction on
November 29th at the Coast Plaza Hotel in north-
east Calgary. The “Splash”, as it is affectionately
known, has a hard core of supporters who come
out for an evening of fun, frivolity and festivities.
Over $96,000 was raised over the course of the
evening through the live and silent auctions and
the always popular bucket raffle.
During dinner a presentation was made by
Bow River Director Craig Cooper about “Fuel-
lingChange” — a new and exciting program
from Shell Canada — and TUC’s Mallard Point
side channel project on the Bow River. He em-
phasized the importance of our supporters be-
coming involved in the “FuellingChange” ini-
tiative, which allows members of the public to
vote in support of their project of choice from
among seven projects valued at $100,000. Shell
will grant a total of $2 million annually to proj-
ects that improve and restore Canada’s environ-
ment. [To find out more about how to vote for our
Mallard Point project, see the news article on page 4,
or visit http://goo.gl/bwyXO.]
TUC wishes to express their thanks to all who
attended and supported both events along with
the legion of volunteers. Without the volunteer
assistance and support events such as the Fall
Splash and the Toronto National Conservation
Banquet and Auction would not be possible.
Summer Restoration Work Yields Immediate Results
The Fall 2012 issue of Currents featured an
article detailing restoration work com-
pleted on one of the main tributaries of
central Alberta’s Stauffer Creek. The goal of the
restoration work this past summer was improv-
ing existing trout habitat for spawning trout and
their offspring.
Silvia D’Amelio, Ontario Program Manager. TUC photo.
2012 Toronto Dinner Chair, the Honorable Dave Prentice and dinner host, Olympian Marnie McBean. TUC photo.
Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 7
TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL
Long-time Central Alberta Chapter member
Don Andersen checked out the August restora-
tion work for evidence of spawning trout. Don
was pleased to see about 20 brook trout within
the spring area.
Don discovered lots of spawning activity in
the area, counting some 25 redds along the
spring length. Many of the redds Don ob-
served were located along the willow bundles
installed this past summer. Don found there
were multiple redds in the same area. From a
one year count, it looks like the August resto-
ration work was a success.
If you would like to check out the Fall 2012
article please visit the Trout Unlimited Canada
website: www.tucanada.org.
Yellow Fish Road™ Fall 2012 Events
T rout Unlimited Canada’s Director of
Conservation Education, Lynn Robb
was busy once again this past fall.
Since January, 2012, Lynn, has been volun-
teering as a scientist with the Calgary Science
Network (CSN) providing workshops to Grade
2 classes on “Exploring Liquids”. As part of
Lynn’s presentations, students learn about their
local watershed, stormwater pollution and how
to protect their local water bodies.
On October 18, working in partnership with
Trinity Ayres, Elementary Science Consultant,
Calgary Board of Education, Lynn presented a
teachers workshop for the CSN on the “Needs
of Plants & Animals” at the Forest Lawn High
School. This presentation was part of an eve-
ning ‘Science Symposium’ of planned work-
shops on a range of topics, organized to quick-
start teacher professional development.
To learn more about CSN please visit their web-
site at www.calgarysciencenetwork.ca/workshops.htm.
On November 7, Trout Unlimited Canada
and the Yellow Fish Road™ program was part
of the annual Centre for Affordable Water
Sanitation Technology Wavemakers Youth
Summit, hosted at Calgary Zoo’s Safari Lodge.
The goal of the Youth Summit was to inform,
engage and encourage community action and
celebrate the impact youth are having on local/
global water sanitation issues. Each year teams
of students from Calgary junior and senior high
schools meet for this day-long event to learn and
plan on how they can make a difference for water.
At this year’s summit,
Lynn represented Trout Un-
limited Canada as one of the
water experts in a student
scavenger hunt. Lynn, along
with other local Calgary wa-
ter experts, posed questions
to students and provided an-
swers on local water issues.
For more information on
the Wavemakers Youth Sum-
mit, visit www.wavemakers.
cawst.org/index.php/action-
projects/youth-summit
For the past two years, Trout
Unlimited Canada has pro-
vided teacher workshops at the
annual Alberta Teachers Association Confer-
ence in Banff National Park. This year’s work-
shop, “Cutting Edge Science”, joined with TUC’s
Yellow fish Road™ program as it looked for new
methods of teaching about water protection.
On November 16, the Banff Centre pro-
vided a spectacular backdrop for this year’s
conference, featuring keynote speakers Bill
Nye, the Science Guy, and George Kourouis
of Storm Chasers fame. This world class con-
ference offers local, national and international
exposure while providing an opportunity to
exchange information on curriculum trends
and resources with top educators across the
province of Alberta. Visit the Alberta Teach-
ers Association website for additional details:
www.sc.teachers.ab.ca/Annual%20Conference/Pages/
About%20the%20Conferences.aspx
Renowned researcher, consultant, author,
and speaker, Etienne Wenger, stated, “Com-
munities of Practice are groups of people who
share a passion for something, and learn how
to do it better as they interact regularly.”
On November 21, the Alberta Council for
Environmental Educators (ACEE) held the
first meeting of environmental educators from
across the province at the Kerry Wood Nature
Centre in Red Deer, to develop a Community
of Practise (CoP) for water educators to help
them deliver on their mission and advance
water education in the province of Aberta. Ac-
cording to the ACEE, a CoP for water educa-
tors will help achieve the following:
• Meet our needs for community and net-
working;
• Learn more about other organizations and programs in our CoP;
• Work together to identify common barriers to our work — and build bridges over these barriers;
• Identify our professional learning needs, and meet those needs;
• See where programs are complementary to — or in competition to — one another, and identify ‘gaps’;
• Provide better support to teachers and other audiences;
• Create efficiencies and synergies in our work;
• Develop coordinated approaches to the funding community.
For more about ACEE and Communities of
Practice in Environmental Education see www.
abcee.org/cop.
OUR MISSION: To conserve, protect and restore Canada’s freshwater ecosystems and their coldwater resources for current and future generations.
OUR GOALS:• to conserve and protect Canada’s freshwater
fish and their ecosystems and restore their coldwater resources to a healthy and produc-tive state;
• to develop and apply effective, science-based and measurable coldwater conservation solu-tions in the field;
• to inform the public about coldwater conserva-tion issues and educate communities about their watersheds;
• to build and sustain a healthy organization.
Help us help the trout! Visit tucanada.org
Attendees at the Alberta Council for Environmental Educators “Commu-nity of Practice” for Water Educators held in Red Deer earlier this year. TUC photo.
Currents: Volume 19, No. 1 • Winter 20128
Help us help the trout — join today! Visit us at tucanada.org