Student leads trip to local waterfalls ahead of World Water Day
Taking a dip at your favourite swimming hole. Dipping a paddle into a northern river. Taking a refreshing sip on a hot day.
Sherry Du knows that our relationship with water is complex – and incredibly important.
That’s why the master’s student in Biology wanted to introduce her fellow students to some of Hamilton’s many waterfalls recently.
As part of the Make 150 Count campaign, RBC gave $150 to individuals across the country – including Du – and asked them to do good in their communities.
Du gave her funds to McMaster Water Network Student Chapter, and together with Nature at McMaster, they organized a group outing to a few of the city’s more than 100 falls.
The hikes were meant to get people to think about their relationship with water, and included discussion about the more than 663 million people around the world currently living without a safe water supply.
“We are so privileged to have such amazing freshwater resources in Canada, and it’s on display right in our backyard here in Hamilton,” says Du, who also serves as chair of the student chapter of the McMaster Water Network. “What better way to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday than by experiencing water in nature and by sharing a love of water and raising awareness for the future?”
Du’s academic work focuses on the effects of treated wastewater on the biology of fish in the Great Lakes.
“I thought the best way to make 150 count was to use it to open the eyes of more young people about their relationship with water, and hopefully to spark in them a sense of community stewardship and water appreciation,” she says.
