Many organizations from the WFMD Ottawa Chapter including the Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, the American Fisheries Society Ontario Chapter and Ocean Tracking Network came together to host a one-day interactive family event at the Museum of Nature in Canada’s National Capital!
On Tuesday May 17th, approximately 35 local students and professionals migrated their way to the Lieutenant’s Pump to celebrate the second biennial World Fish Migration Day with a pub talk and trivia night. Guests were entertained by a captivating presentation on the cultural significance of the American Eel in the Ottawa area given by Ethan Huner of the Algonquins of Ontario
Following Ethan’s talk, everyone enjoyed some healthy competition as teams tackled fish trivia questions before spending the night mingling over food and drinks. We would like to thank our sponsors for donated prizes and the Lieutenant’s Pump for hosting another successful evening!
On Saturday May 21st, the second biennial World Fish Migration Day outreach event was hosted at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, ON. Volunteers from Carleton University, the Canadian Wildlife Federation, and Kilgor and Associates were decked out and ready to talk fish with the museum’s over 1000 patrons!
For the little ones, fishy themed face painting, post cards, and colouring sheets helped foster an interest in fish, while ‘spawning migration Plinko’ demonstrated how predators, fisheries, and barriers can prevent fish from reaching their spawning habitat.
Fisheries biologists from the Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Research Laboratory and Kilgor and Associates were present to demonstrate fish tagging and research technologies and answer questions about local and global research projects. As a city located at the confluence of two large rivers, WFMD volunteers highlighted local waterways and migratory species that are impacted by barriers such as dams, and species at risk like the American eel.
Finally, the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s green screen transported patrons under water and face to face with a living fossil, the lake sturgeon!
Reach – estimates over 500 direct contact, museum patronage for the day over 1000
