Dr. John Rex is a researcher of the smaller things in life, or rather within an ecosystem. He studies small streams that are less than 3m in width and are typically S3, S4 or S6 orders. These streams may not seem very important at first, but I’ve learned that there are many reasons they should be prioritized in preservation. They are often deemed insignificant and are overlooked, they are numerous and are the most sensitive of all water bodies, they influence downstream conditions, provide migration corridors, and are commonly encountered in development, yet among all these reasons of importance they have no buffers in BC to protect them.

His sampling methods might have some similarities to my project as he sampled multiple sites both before and after harvesting disturbances, whereas I will be sampling sites multiple times in areas considered disturbed from urbanization and those that are rural or undisturbed. But in the grand scheme of things, there are few similarities between his and my research.

I thought John’s presentation was planned well, and it was more linear in the sense of being about a research project he had completed, including results and a discussion. He included relevance of his work to climate change, which was great. I feel like if enough people continue to discuss it, it will become harder for skeptics to push the topic under the table and ignore. He was great at answering questions, and exuded his passion for the topic throughout the hour.

The “big dream” aspect of Dr. Rex’s talk was the idea that scientists are good for much more than conducting research solely within the realm of their study topic. They should become advocates for change, and encourage communication and dialogue between scientists and the community. It is with this dialogue that changes can occur, such as better protection for small streams. It’s like our discussion in NRES 700, scientists need to do more than sit and conduct research; they need to become active members in a community, share their knowledge and be protectors of the natural world.