Episode 08: Water insights from the headwaters to the open ocean

What would water tell us if it could talk? How can each of us strengthen our relationship with the waterways and water bodies near our homes? Our special guests from Ocean Wise and Water Rangers joined us to discuss these questions and more, as we covered as much territory as Canada has coastline (well, maybe not that much...). Here's what else we dove into in this Earthy Chat:  

*need-to-know facts about salt water and freshwater

*the disconnection many people have with water and how this can be addressed

*the impacts of climate change on our waterways

*sustainable fishing and agricultural practices

*citizen science and community monitoring to fill large data gaps

*action steps like the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup and reducing the use of road salt

Guests: 

Daphne Austin is the Online Specialist for online learning and ocean literacy with Ocean Wise. Through virtual programming, she connects others to the ocean, inspiring them to become ‘ocean wise’ to make positive choices for ocean health. Ocean Wise is a globally focused not-for-profit conservation organization on a mission to protect and restore the world’s ocean.

Laura Gilbert is the Community research coordinator for Water Rangers, which involves helping run projects and supporting their community of water testers. From webinars with first graders in the Yukon to excursions with students in after-school programs in Montréal, Laura loves to spark young learners’ interest in science and caring for water.

Kat Kavanagh is the Executive Director of Water Rangers. She was part of a winning team at the 2015 Aquahacking’s Ottawa Summit, which "a two- day hack-a-thon to develop technical solutions for the Ottawa River. Her team’s citizen science platform was essentially a prototype for what would later become Water Rangers." (adapted from the Water Rangers website)

Several water-testing kits can be purchased now at Canada's Non-profit Outdoor Learning Store: https://outdoorlearningstore.com/product/water-education-testkit/