Had a long walk both west and east from Byrne Road along the Fraser this afternoon. Lots to see and photograph. One advantage to having aching knees is that you slow down and see more. . .
Bald Eagle caught in a tractor beam : -)
Lots of Great Blue Herons
I like moths as long as they’re not in my suit closet ;-).
Found this snail on the sidewalk, so I moved it to a safer place.
Another one
Fuzzbutt on the Byrne Creek Meadow Ave. bridge
One day after schoolchildren released coho smolts into Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC, fish were found dying. Studies show that coho are particularly sensitive to road wash that contains a toxic combination of pollutants including gasoline, oil, antifreeze, and metals.
They actually try to swim with their heads above the water as they try to escape the pollutants
It would likely help if the City of Burnaby council would actually implement the Byrne Creek Integrated Stormwater Management Plan and the Environmental Sustainability Strategy.
The watershed needs rain gardens, swales, and biofiltration ponds. The more road wash that is intercepted and naturally filtered in the ground the better.
UPDATE: I sent this to Dr. Jenifer McIntyre, a professor at Washington State University, who has been researching the impacts of road runoff on salmon. She shared a link to her latest published study comparing road runoff effects on coho vs chum.
Looks interesting!
Streamkeeping, sustainability, community, business, photography, books, and animals, with occasional forays into social commentary. Text and Photos © Paul Cipywnyk