John Hunkin (Back row, 2nd from right) & his rehab team
A Stream Rehab Story-My name is John Hunkin, and I am a crew member of TUC’s Ontario Small Watershed Action Team (SWAT). I currently finishing my Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology and Conservation at the University of Guelph. Before arriving at TUC, I had the opportunity of being a part of Conservation Halton’s Science and Partnerships Volunteer Core. It is through the connections and technical skills I developed through the Volunteer Core that I found out about TUC’s SWAT Crew, as well as my passion for stream rehabilitation.
My time at TUC has been a phenomenal experience and has been filled with many great learning opportunities. Of these, one, in particular, stands out. As a part of my funding through the United Nations Association Green Spaces program, we were given an optional task of running our own community engagement activity. I chose to coordinate a volunteer workday at Courtcliffe Park in Carlisle, Ontario. The Courtcliffe Park rehabilitation has been a major collaboration between TUC and Conservation Halton since 2015.
I worked at Courtcliffe many times as a Conservation Halton Volunteer and have acted as a volunteer leader and workday planner for the events there previously. The work at Courtcliffe highlights the importance of partnerships and just how much work can get done when multiple parties are involved. I decided to apply this mentality to my own workday and make it a joint effort between TUC’s SWAT Team, TUC’s Ted Knott Chapter, and Conservation Halton’s Volunteer Core.
The work day consisted of an instream planting and the installation of a sediment trap. Being the primary coordinator of the workday was one of my biggest challenges. My role as primary coordinator put my leadership skills to the test. I needed to find a subtle balance between many aspects of communication, such as being able to provide enough detail, while also keeping explanations concise.
Sediment Trap
I was also challenged to create an aquatic planting plan for the event to select appropriate species and locations, thereby expanding my technical expertise. We planted 280 plants, with the hopes of converting a particular section into a wetland. Additionally, we were able to install 72 square meters of sediment traps along Bronte Creek, to help narrow the channel to improve habitat conditions for Brook Trout.
By the end of the event, a great deal of work had been completed. Everyone was satisfied with the impact they were able to make. Personal satisfaction is my favorite part about volunteering as you are contributing to something larger than yourself, something that really needs hard work put into it.
Please consider joining or volunteering for an upcoming volunteer event near you and start stories of your own.
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