Connect & Protect: Mississauga By Patricia Hyunh-Ontario Provincial Biologist
On August 27, 2022, Trout Unlimited Canada, in partnership with Brown Girl Outdoor World (BGOW) hosted the first of three events happening this year. Titled Connect & Protect, the goal of this program is to provide space for Black, Indigenous, and racialized Communities, and allies to connect with and protect nature.
The morning started off with learning about the negative impacts invasive species have on biodiversity. Next, the folks from Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) led an invasive species management activity to remove invasive common buckthorn. Using weed wrenches, shovels, and loppers, the group was able to clear buckthorn off 150 square meters of land at CVC’s office, including shrubs over 6 feet tall, and hundreds of tiny seedlings.
Event participants, and TUC and CVC staff standing by the pile of buckthorn they cleared.
During lunch, participants had the opportunity to connect with each other and share more about their experiences with nature. After lunch, Demiesha Dennis from BGOW did a talk on the importance of having more people from Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities involved in conservation work.
After the talk, participants headed over to Meadowvale Conservation Area for an introductory fly fishing lesson. Participants learned how to set up their rods, how to tie a fly to a line, and how to cast. Other topics covered included water temperatures and fishing, water safety, and regulations.
Participants spent half their fly fishing lessons on land to learn the basics of fly fishing.
After everyone had the opportunity to practice casting on land, the group was split into two groups. One group began casting in the water with BGOW while the other group learned about benthic macroinvertebrates (Bugs) and their importance in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems with TUC.
Participants had a great time trying to catch fish and insects.
The first event was a great success. A very special thank you to Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund for funding this program and to Merrell, Claire Kemp Creative and CVC for providing prizes and park passes to participants!
There are still two more Connect & Protect events coming up, register by following the links below: September 17 – Hamilton September 24 – Guelph
Comments