Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 1

Volume 18, No. 3 Summer 2012

Duffins Creek — time for renewal!by Silvia D’Amelio, Ontario Provincial Biologist

Du

ffin

s C

reek

, ON

. TU

C p

hot

o.A few years ago Trout Unlimited

Canada (TUC) biologists identified

six watersheds across Canada with

high rehabilitation potential and with strong

community support. Watersheds where TUC

could strategically work on a large scale to

improve water quality, increase stream health

and engage local residents to become active

stewards of their home waters. Duffins Creek

is an example of one of these watersheds.

Located east of Toronto, the 283 km2 Duf-

fins Creek watershed flows from the Oak Ridg-

es Moraine through Whitchurch-Stouffville,

Uxbridge, Pickering, Ajax and Markham. Duf-

fins Creek is home to a large number of natu-

ral areas and green spaces rich with abun-

dant groundwater resources. Amongst its 45

fish species, a number of native coldwater spe-

cies, including brook trout, thrive in the upper

reaches, providing an indication of ecosystem

health and coldwater resource potential.

Due to its proximity to large urban centers

and the development of a planned airport,

the Duffins Creek watershed faces increased

stress and potential degradation.

As urban growth increases, so does demand

for water, development space, runoff, litter

and pollution. Increased development reduces

green space. Green space plays an important

role in air purification, water filtration, tem-

perature reduction and habitat for a variety

of plants and animals.

With so much improvement potential and

an increased need for protection, TUC iden-

tified the Duffins Creek watershed as a high

priority for inclusion as a National Flagship

Conservation Program. Enbridge Gas Distri-

bution Inc. (EGD) agreed and generously do-

nated $200,000 to kick start the first year of

the five year Program.

Trout Unlimited Canada along with proj-

ect partner Toronto and Region Conservation

TUC ‘digs in’ in Ontario...

Currents: Volume 18, No. 3 • Summer 20122

PERSPECTIVES ON THE FUTURE OF STEWARDSHIP

(TRCA) and founding sponsor Enbridge Gas

Distribution, officially launched the Duffins

Creek Headwaters Renewal Program on April

24th, 2012. Enbridge Gas Distribution employ-

ees pitched in to plant over 150 trees in Ajax

Ontario’s Greenwood Conservation Area. The

trees will help filter water, purify air, decrease

temperature, and most importantly link two

existing green spaces, improving safe passage

for the movement of animals and seeds for

plant growth.

The Duffins Creek Headwaters Renewal

Program is a strategic plan to conserve, pro-

tect and restore the watershed from its head-

waters downstream. Working within headwa-

ter reaches to improve water quality provides

compound benefits as work progresses down-

stream. The renewal program is made up of

three components:

• Restoration — Restoration efforts such as

dam removals, erosion mitigation, substrate

improvements, pollution reduction/mitiga-

tion this program will improve the health

of the watershed local residents rely on and

recreate in.

• Education — Education and engagement

of the local community through children’s

and family events creates a sense of com-

TroutUnlimitedCanadaOUR MISSION: To conserve, protect and re-store Canada’s freshwater ecosystems and their coldwater resources for current and future generation.

OUR GOALS:• to conserve and protect Canada’s freshwa-

ter fish and their ecosystems and restore their coldwater resources to a healthy and productive state;

• to develop and apply effective, science-based and measurable coldwater conser-vation solutions in the field;

• to inform the public about coldwater con-servation issues and educate communities about their watersheds;

• to build and sustain a healthy organiza-tion.

Help us help the trout! Visit tucanada.org

munity around the

river and improves

local knowledge and

therefore stewardship.

Stewardship — By

fostering a sense of

pride and steward-

ship within the wa-

tershed TUC will

provide landown-

ers with tools to

improve their own

properties through

workshops and com-

munity events.

Trout Unlimited Cana-

da will be active and busy

within the Duffins Creek

watershed this summer

supporting these three key

project components.

For more information on

the Duffins Creek Headwa-

ters Renewal Program and

for upcoming program events,

please visit the Duffins Creek

Headwaters Renewal Program webpage

on the Trout Unlimited Canada website,

www.tucanada.org and the Duffins Creek

Blog at www.duffinscreek.blogspot.com.

•

Top: ???,???, ???, Jeff Surtees, TUC, ???, ??? and ???, Enbridge Gas

Distribution. Above, ???, Jeff, ??? and ??? dig in to kick off Trout

Unlimted Canada’s newest National Flagship Conservation Pro-

gram. TUC photo.

Enbridge Gas Distribution planting crew volunteers at Duffins Creek. TUC photo.

Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 3

TUC and other organizations are urging the

Province to use measures such as no live fish

in possession or being transported from water

bodies where they were captured. We also are

urging the Province to make it illegal to stock

non-nat ive

fish species

in waters

con t a i n i ng

native fish

species. It is

hoped in this

way that the

spread of non-

native fish

species can be

controlled and

those popula-

tions that now

exist can be

managed to

limit their im-

pacts on the na-

tive species still

existing in the Province and the Mari-

times as a whole.

Maritime Invasive Species: Should we be concerned?

Jack G. Imhof-National Biologist, Director of Conservation Ecology

A creeping crisis has

been developing in

the Maritimes

over the last 40 years,

the illegal intro-

duction, both

passive and active,

of non-native gamefish to

waters formally only holding

native salmon and trout. It is dif-

ficult to pinpoint exactly where these

non-native gamefish such as rainbow trout,

smallmouth and largemouth bass and chain

pickerel came from, but their introduction to

Maritime waters has been progressing at an

alarming rate. Some say the illegal introduc-

tion of non-native gamefish was inevitable.

Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC) believes that

most of these illegal colonization’s are likely

the result of passive introduction (e.g. bait

buckets) or in some cases active introductions

by those that want these fish for their sport,

ignoring both the legality of their actions and

the negative implications to remaining native

populations. Nowhere is the issue any more of

a concern than in New Brunswick, Nova Sco-

tia and PEI.

Recently, Trout Unlimited Canada and its

Tusket River and Cumberland County chap-

ters submitted a proposal to the Nova Scotia

government. In essence, Trout Unlimited

Canada is concerned about the expansion or

stocking of non-native fish in Nova Scotia

waters where native fish are or have been his-

torically present. This concern is supported by

the best science available which indicates that

non-natives often negatively impact native fish

species. Their introduction can suppress na-

tive gamefish recovery when restoration work

is underway, affecting both the biodiversity

of the region and its natural heritage. This is

position is supported by TUC’s National Con-

servation Agenda and its policy on Protection

and Restoration of Coldwater Fish Communi-

ties. Specifically TUC stated to the Nova Scotia

government:

“Native trout and salmon and their habitat

are the major interest of Trout Unlimited Can-

ada in Nova Scotia given the region’s historical

legacy of coldwater resources.”

TUC and its provincial chapters in Nova

Scotia have implemented programs to protect

and restore native coldwater species and their

communities through constructive dialogue,

habitat restoration, encouragement of proper

harvest and angling regulations, research

and monitoring. Non-native, but naturalized

coldwater species are also a management fo-

cus for TUC, as long as these species do not

compromise the health and integrity of native

fish species, or where they are replac-

ing a native salmonid species that

can no longer survive in a particular

waterbody. The management of non-

native fish species is of concern to

TUC where they pose a potential

threat through introduction, compe-

tition or disease to native coldwater

communities and where they may

out-compete and reduce the ability of

native coldwater fish to thrive in their

historical native habitats.”

In a letter to the Nova Scotia gov-

ernment, TUC and its Nova Scotia

chapters encouraged the develop-

ment of a Provincial Strategic Fish-

eries Management Plan to clearly ar-

ticulate the Provinces’ role in inland

fisheries, its key goals and objectives

including its strategic direction for the man-

agement of native versus naturalized species.

Maritime InvasiveSpecies:

Should webe concerned?by Jack Imhof, National Biologist, Director of Conservation Ecology

Top: invasive smallmouth bass in a Nova Scotia lake. Above: chain pickerel. Such species can have a serious impact on native gamefish. Jack Imhof photos.

Currents: Volume 18, No. 3 • Summer 20124

T his is the first of what is going to be a

regular column in Currents where the

CEO of Trout Unlimited Canada pro-

vides answers to questions he has been asked

and raises issues that he thinks TUC support-

ers should be aware of.

“What’s going on at TUC?” is a way that

people often start conversations with me. It’s

a question that I love answering. There is a lot

to talk about — new TUC Chapters in Ontario

(the Niagara Chapter), Quebec (the Château-

guay Chapter) and Saskatchewan (the Doug

Cressman Chapter), our work to inform the

federal government of our members’ views on

Bill C-38, our input to the proposed Canadian

National Conservation Plan, our new Duffins

Creek Headwaters Renewal Program in On-

tario, ongoing work on existing projects across

the country, the extensive work our staff does

providing input and leadership to other organi-

zations... and the list goes on.

The best place to look for information is our

great new website at www.tucanada.org. We

have packed a lot of information on the site

while trying our best to make it easy to navigate.

You can scroll across the drop down menus at

the top of the page to find out just about any-

thing you might want to know about TUC:

• About TUC — our history, our people, our

policies, our legal and financial information

including our complete audited financial

statements and much more;

• Chapters — information about our hard

working Chapters across the country, con-

tact information and links to Chapter web-

sites for those that have them.;

• Support — TUC is a charitable organization.

Our existence depends on financial support

from people like you. You can donate on

line, find out information about upcoming

events, renew your membership or find out

about our planned giving program;

• News — find out the latest and greatest in

our newsroom, it is updated almost daily;

• Conservation Projects - Click on each listed

province to find out about local TUC proj-

ects. Our long term goal is to list all of the

legacy projects completed by TUC chapters

since we started in 1973;

• Education — find out about Adopt-a-Trout

and Yellow Fish Road (which has its own

website at www.yellowfishroad.org;

• Science — this is where we put information

about major scientific initiatives (like last

year’s Arctic Grayling conference) and all

the technical and research reports prepared

by TUC biologists.

Another great way to keep up with what’s go-

ing on is to become a friend on our Facebook

page (just search for Trout Unlimited Canada).

We also have three blogs on the go — one

each for the Bronte Creek and Duffins Creek

Programs in Ontario and one for our long run-

ning Central Alberta Chapter. You can sign up

and get regular updates by clicking on the blog

button on our website home page (on the left

beside the Facebook and YouTube buttons).

We want TUC to be a completely transparent

and accessible organization. If there is informa-

tion you need but can’t find or if you just want

to give your input about something that is trou-

bling you, give us a phone call toll free at 1-800-

909-6040. We would love to hear from you!

What’s Going On?by Jeff Surtees

REBUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF OUR RIVERS AND STREAMS

Policeman Creek Habitat Enhancement

T his spring, Trout Unlimited Canada

completed the construction phase of

the Policeman Creek Habitat Enhance-

ment project in Canmore, Alberta. The goal of

the project is to build upon previous enhance-

ments of overwintering fish habitat within

Policeman Creek. Due to changes in water

management and groundwater flows, there

has been limited wetted habitat for fish resid-

ing in the creek over winter for most of the last

15 years. Surface water in much of the creek

during the winter months has been limited to

a few shallow, isolated pools. During especial-

ly dry years, several salvage efforts have been

completed in late spring to move fish from

drying pools to functional deep water areas

where they could survive until runoff.

In 2006, Alberta Sustainable Resource

Development, in conjunction with a local

developer constructed overwintering pools

in Policeman Creek near the Spring Creek

Mountain Village. Trout Unlimited Canada

biologists and volunteers conducted elec-

trofishing assessments within three of these

constructed pools in April 2010. The effort

resulted in the capture of 199 fish including

99 brook trout, 78 brown trout, 19 mountain

whitefish, and three longnose suckers. The

electrofishing assessment demonstrated the

importance and functionality of these pools in

Policeman Creek in providing overwintering

habitat to both juvenile and adult trout during

low water years.

After two years of planning and baseline

sampling including electrofishing and redd

surveys, on April 16, 2012 TUC hired a lo-

cal contractor to excavate five overwintering

pools in Policeman Creek. Felled spruce trees,

provided by Spring Creek Mountain Village,

were placed in the pools to provide functional

hiding cover for fish. A secondary benefit of

the project involved the creation of islands

within the creek that will provide quality wa-

terfowl habitat.

The next phase of the project includes plant-

ing willows and grasses on the islands to pro-

mote a healthy riparian zone benefiting fish

and wildlife. The final phase of the Policeman

Creek Habitat Enhancement Project will in-

TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL

TUC CEO Jeff Surtees. TUC photo.

Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 5

C r o w n e

Plaza. Be-

g i n n i n g

with snow

crab and

a s p a r a -

gus soup

with her-

bed crème

fraiche to

an in-house

maple glazed

cold smoked

salmon fol-

lowed by a

g r a p e f r u i t

sorbet before

the wonderful

main course of

beef tenderloin

with bourbon

maple wild mushroom ragout. A layered milk

chocolate torte with blackberry sorbet topped

off a fantastic meal put together by an out-

standing staff.

The Live and Silent auctions offered some-

thing for everyone, a wonderful array of art

works, jewelry, trips, equipment and much

more. The Bucket and special raffles allowed

clude a multi-year moni-

toring program to assess

fish use of the pools, to

ensure the success of

the island vegetation,

and to evaluate any

changes in spawning

activity in Policeman

Creek.

This project was

made possible thanks

to funding from the

Alberta Conserva-

tion Association’s

Grant Eligible Con-

servation Fund, the

volunteer contri-

bution of the TUC

Bow Headwaters

Chapter, and ad-

vice from Alberta

Sustainable Resource Development – Fish and

Wildlife Division.

Edmonton 27th Annual National Conservation Dinner

O n Thursday May 10th, the 27th An-

nual Edmonton National Conser-

vation Banquet and Auction took

place at the Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe

Hotel. Led by Dinner Chair Richard Iwaniuk

from BioWare and the Dinner Committee, the

dinner was a tremendous success as both a

fun-filled evening for the many guests and

as a fundraiser for Trout Unlimited Canada’s

programs and projects. With gross revenues in

excess of $115,000, the dinner continued its

successful run as a major contributor to TUC’s

projects and programs.

Financial boosts were received from Silver

Sponsor Comstock—an EMCOR Company as

well as donations from Orion Drilling Com-

pany of Corpus Christie, Texas and John

Mitchell. Additional sponsors included Millar

Western Forest Products, Sentry Select Capi-

tal Corp., Wesclean Equipment Cleaning &

Supplies, Jack Fuller, Richard Iwaniuk, Doug

Lynass, Bill Lywood, Ross McCrady, and Ron

Pearson.

Once again one of the many highlights

of the evening was the meal served by the

who helped make Edmonton’s 27th annual

conservation banquet and auction a tremen-

dous success.

Don Pike, Director of Special Events, Trout

Unlimited Canada

Trout Unlimited Canada Welcomes Two New Chapters

T he Niagara Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Canada is committed to the restoration

and preservation of cold water habitat

in the Niagara Region. Initially the primary

focus of the chapter’s efforts will be Twelve

Mile Creek, the Niagara region’s only cold wa-

ter watershed with an existing population of

brook trout. Since its formation in the spring

of this year, the chapter has identified pre-

cise mapping of the stream, barrier removal,

stream bank restoration, and landowner in-

volvement as projects to develop.

If you reside in the Niagara region and are

interested in becoming involved please con-

tact Dennis Edell at 416 918 4448 or via e-mail

at, dennise@rain43.com.

The Doug Cressman Chapter is Trout Un-

limited Canada’s first chapter in Saskatchewan

and is honored to be given the opportunity to

name the chapter after the late Doug Cress-

man, former CEO of

Trout Unlimited Canada.

Doug saw a need for the

presence of Trout Un-

limited Canada in Sas-

katchewan and initiated

the organizations first

projects to protect and

preserve the coldwater

streams in the province.

The Doug Cressman

Chapter’s focus is cen-

tered on the protect-

ing, preserving, and

restoring the coldwater

streams of the French-

man River watershed, which includes Be-

langer, Sucker, Conglomerate Creeks and the

upper Frenchman River. These waters contain

native and naturalized populations of cold wa-

ter fish species, some of which only are found

in this area of Saskatchewan.

many guests to go home as winners. The big

winner for the evening, however, was definite-

ly Canada’s trout and the coldwater resources

they and we need to survive.

Trout Unlimited Canada and the Edmonton

Auction Committee wishes to thank everyone

Excavating overwintering pools on Policeman Creek. TUC photo.

Former TUC CEO, the late Doug Cressman. His memory will live on with the creation of TUC’s first-ever Saskatchewan chapter. TUC photo.

Currents: Volume 18, No. 3 • Summer 20126

TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL

If you are interested in becoming involved

with the Doug Cressman Chapter and its con-

servation efforts within the Frenchman River

watershed please contact Matt Tyree via e-mail

at TroutUnlmitedSK@gmail.com.

Interested in forming a chapter in your

region? Please contact Kimberly Davidson,

Director of Member & Chapter Relations at

1-800-909-6040 or via e-mail at kdavidson@

tucanada.org.

Red Deer River Clean-Up — 2012

L eaving it better than you found it was

the theme of the 2012 annual Red

Deer River Cleanup campaign that

was held on June 3, 2012. This annual event

was sponsored by The City of Red Deer, Nova

Chemicals, Tim Hortons, and Trout Unlimited

Canada’s Central Alberta Chapter.

The weather was perfect for the over 100 pas-

sionate volunteers who gathered garbage along

the Red Deer River and its tributaries within

the Red Deer city limits. People from the com-

munity, which included Trout Unlimited Can-

ada members, enjoyed a rewarding experience

knowing they were making a difference.

The volunteers focused their energy on 14

kilometers of river and creek shoreline col-

lecting about 650 kilograms of garage! The

substantial amount of garbage reflects the

necessity for continued education to reinforce

the importance of keeping our waterways and

riparian areas clean.

The Central Alberta Chapter believes that

it is important to develop a community with

a strong environmental con-

scious that celebrates ‘green’

initiatives such as the Red

Deer River Clean-Up.

The Central Alberta Chap-

ter is proud to support the

annual spring and fall clean-

up campaigns. Activities

such as the Red Deer River

Clean-Up connect people

with their natural environ-

ment bringing awareness to

the importance of keeping

our riv-

ers and

streams

and the water within them

clean.

Doug Pullan, Central Al-

berta Chapter

flows from the Bow River upon construction

of the Trans-Canada Highway and is now en-

tirely groundwater-fed. As a result, the natural

process of large woody debris accumulating is

much slower in this system than other systems

that experience periodic high water events. In

2008 and 2009 TUC and the Bow Headwa-

ters Chapter added spruce trees to function as

overhead cover within a 300 metre reach of

the creek. This work followed up on a similar

project that took place in 1987. Studies show

that trout tend to spawn within a few metres

of cover such as large woody debris, which

provides a place to rest and protection from

predators. This is consistent with findings of

fall redd surveys completed by TUC staff and

volunteers at Bill Griffiths Creek.

Twenty-six volunteers joined TUC biolo-

gists Lesley Peterson and Brian Meagher to

complete the fifth annual electrofishing assess-

ment at Bill Griffiths Creek on May 9, 2012.

This sampling effort was part of an ongoing

monitoring program to evaluate the effective-

ness of the TUC habitat enhancement project.

Volunteers included 11 high school students

from Canmore Collegiate, three biologists

from the federal Department of Fisheries and

Oceans, staff from Alberta Parks, and mem-

bers of the Bow Headwaters Chapter of TUC.

Many of the Bow Headwaters Chapter volun-

teers have been involved in previous efforts to

revitalize this local creek. After hearing about

this opportunity from these members, several

new volunteers were eagerly recruited to par-

ticipate in this year’s effort.

Electrofishing workday volunteers had the

opportunity to see four different salmonid spe-

Fifth Annual Bill Griffiths Creek Sampling Day

B ill Griffiths Creek

is an important

Brown Trout spawn-

ing tributary in the upper Bow River system.

Once a side channel of the Bow River, Bill

Griffiths Creek became isolated from flashy

A young volunteer releasing a brown trout during the May 9th Bill Griffiths Creek Sampling Day. TUC photo.

Bill Griffiths Creek brook trout. TUC photo.

Central Alberta Chapter’s 2012 clean-up crew. Doug Pullan photo.

Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 7

TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL

cies throughout the day. Brown trout made up

the majority of the 158 fish captured; the crew

also captured 10 brook trout, one mountain

whitefish and one bull trout. This was the first

bull trout captured by TUC during the spring

electrofishing effort at Bill Griffiths Creek.

The next volunteer opportunity for on Bill

Griffiths Creek will be the Bow Headwaters

Chapter’s redd surveys in the fall of 2012 to

assess spawning activity in the creek in rela-

tion to the habitat enhancement structures.

For more information about the project,

please see previous Bill Griffiths Creek project

reports located in the Technical Reports sec-

tion of the TUC website, www.tucanada.org.

National Yellow Fish Road™ Day

N ational Yellow Fish Road™ (YFR)

Day was a complete success! On

Friday, June 8 2012, Trout Unlim-

ited Canada (TUC) celebrated over 20 years

of education through the Yellow Fish Road™

conservation program. The program’s one

simple but important message, “Storm water

goes into our local streams and river untreat-

ed,” is a reminder to some and new infor-

mation to many.

TUC’s Yellow Fish Road™ Day coin-

cided with the beginning of Rivers to

Oceans Week. The event provided an

opportunity to better understand our

connection to fresh and salt water en-

vironments, watersheds and what we

can do to protect and keep watersheds

healthy for both people and wildlife.

Initiatives like this help TUC achieve

its goals by protecting and improving

water quality within our local water-

shed, not just fish but for everyone

downstream. Over 700 K-9 students

from Calgary’s Langevin Science

School, along with teachers and par-

ents, painted their Bridgeland com-

munity yellow, with ‘Yellow Fish’. 75

groups marked more than 300 storm

drains and distributed 2,400 door

hangers. Excitement filled the air as

students accepted the challenge of making

a difference in their watershed. When asked

Some of the 700 Langevin School students involved in National Yellow Fish Road™ Day. TUC photo.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi (back right) with ??? and student painters at National Yellow Fish Road™ Day. TUC photo.

Currents: Volume 18, No. 3 • Summer 20128

Help us help the trout — join today! Visit us at tucanada.org

TROUT UNLIMITED CANADA

Jeff Surtees Chief Executive Officer jsurtees@tucanada.org

Kimberly Davidson Director of Member and Chapter Relations membership@tucanada.org

Dean Orlando Director, Finance and Administration dorlando@tucanada.org

Jack Imhof National Biologist and Director of Conservation Programs jimhof@tucanada.org

Don Pike Director, Special Events dpike@tucanada.org

Lynn Robb Director of Conservation Education lrobb@tucanada.org

Amanda Graham Director of Development agraham@tucanada.org

Phil Rowley Marketing & Communications prowley@tucanada.org

Brian Meagher Alberta Provincial Biologist bmeagher@tucanada.org

Len Yust Director of Development lyust@tucanada.org

Silvia D’Amelio Ontario Provincial Biologist sdamelio@tucanada.org

Lesley Peterson Project Biologist lpeterson@tucanada.org

Erin McMahon Nose Creek Project Coordinator erin.at.ncwp@gmail.com

Stacey Stevens Ontario Office Coordinator sstevens@tucanada.org

Mary Finch Bronte Creek Watershed Stewardship Specialist mfinch@tucanada.org

National Office: Ste. 160, 6712 Fisher St. SE Calgary, AB T2H 2A7 Tel: 403-221-8360 Fax: 403-221-8368 1-800-909-6040

Ontario Office: Rm. 273, Axelrod Building, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 Tel: 519-824-4120 ext. 56588 Fax: 519-780-1696

tuc@tucanada.org tucanada.org

Currents layout: David Soltess, dsdesign@shaw.ca

about the experience afterwards the students

used words such as, “Fun, cool, awesome and

great.”

Trout Unlimited Canada extends a special

thanks to teacher John Therou for organizing

the event, principal Linda Lytle for hosting it,

and the City of Calgary, in particular Michelle

Mueller for being TUC’s partner and sponsor

of the YFR program in Calgary. Thanks go

out to our own Trout Unlimited Canada staff

including: Cliona Curran and Elaine Zapata,

YFR Educators; Lesley Peterson, Biologist; and

Lynn Robb, Director of Conservation Educa-

tion, who helped to facilitate the painting day

for the school. TUC staff was inspired by these

students, who are our future leaders and water

stewards, helping ensure we have good water

quality today and always.

Yellow Fish Road™ Day participants were

honored to have City of Calgary Mayor, Na-

heed Nenshi, drop by to visit with the stu-

dents! The official launch was filmed by the

CBC and aired later on the evening news.

Stories, pictures and numbers are trickling

in from our YFR partners across the country

who held similar events like Calgary in their

communities to raise awareness of the con-

cerns with non-point source pollution enter-

ing storm drains. Remember, the passion and

commitment of Yellow Fish Road™ Day con-

tinues throughout the year.

People are welcome to download the Yellow

Fish Road™ Day Guide from the YFR website,

www.yellowfishroad.org and organize and

implement their own program at their school

or within their community.

TUC Staff Work Closely with our Partners in Conservation

T UC staff in Calgary were busy promot-

ing education and awareness at events

throughout the city leading up to Earth

Day.

Provincial Biologist, Brian Meagher lent a

helping hand at the Cows and Fish booth at

Aggie Days on Friday, April 20. Aggie Days,

put on by the Calgary Stampede’s Agricul-

ture Education Committee, is an annual event

aimed at engaging elementary school children

about Alberta’s agriculture industry. Cows

and Fish, also known as the Alberta Riparian

Habitat Management Society, lead students

though an interactive game known as, ‘Cows,

Fish, Cattledogs and Kids!’ The game utilizes

environmental questions to teach participants

about the importance of healthy riparian areas

and illustrates the links between riverbanks

and healthy and productive fish, wildlife,

vegetation, water, cattle and the landscape or

environment as a whole. For more informa-

tion, visit the Cows and Fish website at, www.

cowsandfish.org.

Biologist Lesley Peterson represented Trout

Unlimited Canada at the Wild Alberta Expo

held in conjunction with the Alberta Wilder-

ness Association’s 21st annual Climb and Run

for Wilderness on Saturday, April 21. The goal

of this event is to increase public awareness of

wilderness, wildlife, and wild water in Alberta

while raising funds for the Alberta Wilderness

Association. An estimated 1150 people partici-

pated in the fundraiser which was expected to

raise approximately $135,000. TUC was one

of 30 groups participating in the ecological

themed Expo educating and creating aware-

ness of our environment and the opportuni-

ties citizens have to learn, participate, and

take action. For more information on the event

and the Alberta Wilderness Association, visit

www.climbforwilderness.ca.

Erin McMahon and Cliona Curran took

park in the annual Ecopalooza fair put on

by the Calgary Public Library. The event cel-

ebrates Earth Day and involved various exhibi-

tors educating visitors on practical solutions to

lessening individuals’ impact on the environ-

ment. Erin and Cliona provided information

about the Nose Creek Watershed Partnership

and the Yellow Fish Road Program™ and

delighted visitors with the interactive Yellow

Fish Road watershed model.

For more information about these programs,

please visit the Yellow Fish Road™ website,

www.yellowfishroad.org and the Nose Creek

Partnership website at www.nosecreekpart-

nership.com.

TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL