So quick recap: Cariboo food is becoming scarce (Sept 14^th), Moose are disappearing (Sept 21^st), remnants of our exploitations are left deteriorating and rusted (Oct 5^th ) while the surrounding forests are becoming less resilient (Oct 13^th), and now even creeks are going through a tough time, next week it’ll be cracks. Sometimes I forget the presenters are only there to present their personal findings and not lecture us because I’m occasionally left wondering why they didn’t expand on a topic I know deserves broad coverage. I used to follow rivers & streams being paid to chase their divide through bush both recently harvested and others less so well into their successional proceedings. I’d wander through overgrown landscapes replanting the riparian areas that local logging operations (I’m sure accidentally) veered deep into seemingly unregulated. Not only do streams and their surrounding riparian area act as a corridor for both biotic entities like local flora & fauna but they also encourage abiotic phenomenon like genetic drift which can be equally devastating to the surrounding ecosystem when disturbed.  A well-structured riparian area also helps remove pollutants from a creek or stream much unlike how a juice cleanse removes toxins from our bodies.

Not only does leaving a natural riparian area bordering a creek help the natural structure of the waterbody, it also helps species relying on the maintenance of consistent conditions of the ecosystem to survive. A well developed overstory provides shade which cools the water maintaining relatively stable dissolved oxygen levels crucial to the survival of both aquatic and benthic species. The structural integrity of a well rooted riparian area also helps prevent erosion and the decay of the stream’s banks. Ill sustained banks increase turbidity which limits the sunlight able to reach benthic flora thus limiting the food for fauna (similar to the effects of an algae bloom) which can be detrimental to species like salmon in B.C.’s rivers near mines and other anthropogenic antics. I enjoyed Dr John Rex’s presentation though, particularly his calm demeaner, which I think sometimes signifies apathy but in John’s case felt more like confidence. I’m not at UNBC studying ecology per se so much of the presentations don’t directly apply to my work but watching and listening to a lot of the presenters has been great. Sometimes when I present I overheat, I become hyper aware of my movements and words become jumbled clumsily falling out of my mouth. I guess practice makes perfect though which I’m sure is the case of many of the presenters we’ve seen so far who, without a script, can talk passionately or confidently about their topic for likely much longer than the allocated hour they’re given.