Small + Colorful Acts of Resistance

Confluence Collective. — June 7, 2021

two adult brook trout are illustrated near the bottom of the West Credit River, prime breeding environment for one of the few self-sustaining native brook trout populations in southern Ontario. The illustration includes a numbered key identifying these and other inhabitants pictured in an ecosystem coloring page.

CONSERVATION IS IN THE HANDS OF YOUNG COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO:

trout fry are illustrated swimming through the coloring page, identified by a numbered key

A coloring contest launched this week focused on celebrating the native brook trout + surrounding ecosystem found in the West Credit River, which is at risk: a new Waste Water Treatment Plant is proposed that will dump its effluent into the West Credit River. As one of the few remaining healthy cold water rivers in southern Ontario, local conservation and fishing groups are campaigning to stop construction — and community members of all ages can participate by sending completed coloring pages to their local government officials.

a mayfly is illustrated emerging at the surface of the water, discarding it’s nymph-form exoskeleton

The local Greg Clark chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada organized the campaign, utilizing a Confluence Collective ecosystem educational resource [coloring page] as a way to raise awareness + instigate dialogue across generations. Community members have the opportunity to participate through Facebook prompts and through coordination with the local grade school.

Find out more and access the coloring page here on the Greg Clark Trout Unlimited Canada webpage.

A coloring page features native fish and aquatic insects found in the West Credit River, a cold water ecosystem that is vulnerable to proposed waste water facility development. The page includes: brook trout, cased caddis, winter stonefly nymph, golden stonefly nymph, sculpin, scud, white sucker, dace, adult mayfly, cedar waxwing, adult caddis, trout fry, and river chub. River inhabitants are pictured within and around the river in a split view above and below the water’s surface with riverbanks lined with trees.