Location: British Columbia, Canada
Description: The goal of this project is to enable community-based assessment of the health and quality of the swimming spots that are important socially and culturally, and for the health of First Nations communities and individuals in British Columbia.
Background: First Nations communities use traditional and popular swimming locations, and these are socially and culturally significant. The LEO Network is being used as a platform to enable the project team to make observations and record data collected at these locations on repeated occasions with observation frequency left to the discretion of individual community members. Community members can record the following information for any swimming hole at any time, leaving out any categories they wish:
[currently a strawman list that can be changed]
- Name of swimming place
- Date of observation
- Time of observation
- Observer name
- Email address
- Beaufort wind/sea state (if applicable)
- Water Surface Temperature (SST)
- Water Surface Salinity (ppt)
- Secchi Depth
- Water height
- Known or suspected incidences of water-related illnesses
- Observations of shoreline erosion or modification
- Observations of chemical pollution
- Observations of plastics pollution or other trash
- Observations of harmful, hazardous, or family-unfriendly behavior
- Observations of culturally-insensitive behavior
- Observations of resource uses in conflict with swimming/bathing
- Mammal observations
- Bird observations
- Reptile observations
- Fish observations
- Invertebrates observations
- Bluegreen algae observations
- Marine macroalgae observations
- Plant observations
- Other observations
Sampling and Observing Protocols: Sampling protocol for finding a Secchi Depth using a Secchi disk is described in this YouTube video. Secchi Disks can be acquired from a variety of venders such as Maple Lab Systems. [Tyrone: here you can describe any more specific sampling protocols if appropriate, or we can delete this for now]
Inputs: Samplers / observers enter data into the data entry form provided on this project page or at the station page (same form). Data entered are automatically written to the project data sheet (Google Sheets). Data from each sampling event is a new sampling record (row of data on the project data sheet).
Outputs: Data are written to the project data sheet only--to be used by students and project personnel. Summaries, publications will be produced as appropriate, and some will be shared on each station page and the overall project page as deemed appropriate.
Project Updates: Regular
Resources:
First Nations Health Authority
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Observations From Members 