Freshwater Conservation Canada’s Connect and Protect program provides space for racialized individuals to connect with and protect nature. We hosted collaborative events for this year’s Alberta events with Colour the Trails.
Colour the Trails is focused on improving access to the outdoors for BIPOC living in Canada. They host introductions, mentorships, and clinics in outdoor activities to introduce BIPOC adults to new activities and then help them advance further. They also provide consultation and support to partner organizations working to improve diversifying their communities, and we were happy to work with them to bring a group of BIPOC from Calgary and Edmonton out to our workday.

To wrap up the fall, we hosted our final Connect and Protect event of 2024 in Fish Creek Provincial Park, helping the Friends of Fish Creek with their annual Brown Trout redd survey. Every fall, Brown Trout congregate in larger rivers and run up smaller tributaries to spawn. Like all trout, Brown Trout build nests in the gravel to protect their eggs, called redds. Annual redd surveys like this one can help us monitor the fish population and inform priority areas for restoration and conservation in the watershed.

We started the day at the crack of dawn—8am in November! Participants were split into two groups, with group one starting their survey from the confluence of the Bow River and Fish Creek, and group two starting 4km upstream of the confluence. With the guidance of staff and volunteers from the Friends of Fish Creek, participants walked along the creek looking for redds, and documented beaver dams and rock dams in their stream reach.
Partway through the walk, each group also dusted off their high school chemistry skills, and carried out basic stream and water quality monitoring, using kits from Creek Watch. By testing water parameters like turbidity, dissolved oxygen concentration, and phosphorous concentration, we were able to determine that the creek was in great health, and perfect for spawning!

While we didn’t see much for fish or redds during the survey, we did see lots of new beaver activity, especially in the lower 4km of Fish Creek. Thanks to the early start, we also saw lots of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, an American widgeon, a Wilson’s snipe, muskrats, and even a young porcupine.
After our long walks in the park, we ended the day around a cozy campfire, with plenty of snacks, warm drinks, and great company to keep the chill at bay.
Thanks to Colour the Trails for collaborating with us to make this workday such a success! This event would not have been possible without their support in program planning, development, and coordination. Freshwater Conservation Canada also thanks Enbridge for supporting the 2024 Connect and Protect program.
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