Meet the Summer Squad
Summer is in full swing at Swim Drink Fish, and we’re only getting busier as we roll into July.
Each year, we bring on a dedicated team of summer staff to make the most of the warm weather and help make what we do possible. Let’s take a moment to meet the newest additions to our team, and learn what led them to their passion for swimmable, drinkable and fishable water.
Introducing Dylan Leween
Dylan Leween
Hello, my name is Dylan Leween, and I am a summer student at Swim Drink Fish this year! My role is the Great Lakes (Biinaagami) & Fish Guide Coordinator, and I am extremely grateful to be working with such an inspiring organization. Growing up in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, right alongside the Bay of Quinte, water has always been a central part of my upbringing. My family and community have always taken pride in our fishing practices, sustaining our people since time immemorial. I am filled with immense gratitude that I get to be a part of an organization that supports deep-rooted traditions such as this, and that I get to help develop and maintain initiatives that allow for more holistic and relational approaches to environmental governance.
What inspired you to join the Swim Drink Fish team?
Growing up on the bay (and being a Pisces), I have always felt a profound connection to the water. All of my favourite summer memories involved swimming, and I even joined my high school swim team so that I could continue my love for swimming into the winter months. I am currently going into my fourth year of undergraduate studies at the University of Guelph, and, to nobody's surprise, I chose to study Indigenous Environmental Science and Practice. This program has tremendously shaped the way in which I view the natural world and environmental approaches. I am lucky to have incredible influences that have taught me to personify the land and connect with non-human beings in such a reciprocal and relational way, to think of the water as a being that sustains us and gives us life, as opposed to looking at it as a commodified resource.
What are you most looking forward to working on this summer?
My deep love of the water has been broad and vast, from swimming in pools, lakes, and bays, to canoeing the Grand River, and (one of my favourites) watering my plants. Water sustains all life, and watching my plants grow as they are watered is a reminder that I am growing alongside them. I look forward to applying this connection to the initiatives I will be working on at Swim Drink Fish this summer, through Biinaagami and the Fish Guide, applying this holistic lens to the work I am so fortunate to be a part of.
Introducing Jennifer Chen
Jennifer Chen
Hello, my name is Jennifer Chen, and I am honoured to be the Community-Based Water Monitoring Coordinator for the Edmonton Hub this year! I've just graduated from the University of Alberta with a BSc in Biological Sciences, minoring in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. It's a mouthful of a degree, but basically, I love everything nature!
What inspired you to join the Swim Drink Fish team?
I was inspired by Swim Drink Fish's mission of making water more accessible for everyone, regardless of ethnicity, income level, or any other factors. As a kid, my fascination with water started with observing the yearly snowmelt and runoff here in the Edmonton region. This led me to spend a summer on the water at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre in British Columbia, where I developed a passion for river systems. Joining the Swim Drink Fish team has been the perfect way for me to conduct science on my local river, while also sharing a love for water with the public!
What are you most looking forward to working on this summer?
I am hanging on the edge of my seat to see how the river changes through the season! One aspect of this is erosion (fun fact: the North Saskatchewan River cutting down into the land over the past 10,000 years has exposed million-year-old rocks at some spots). Erosion is such an interesting process because it usually occurs at very slow timescales, but can also contribute to visible seasonal change, such as the grand formation and subsequent shrinkage of Accidental Beach in Edmonton. I'm curious to see how much of Accidental Beach will reappear again this year, and I will be monitoring this using our VAST surveys! The river water itself has been brown and running very high with our recent heavy rains, but I'm looking forward to seeing it clear out and drop down in the coming months. As I'll be testing the water at five key sandbars, I'm excited to learn how the water quality changes over the season, too!
Favourite way to spend time at the water?
Currently, I enjoy walking along shorelines to look for cool creatures, take photos, and take in the scenery. At wetlands in and around Edmonton, this often means spotting muskrats, ducks, beavers, coots, and more! In the future, I hope to learn how to kayak or paddleboard.
Introducing Kyle Chuckry
Kyle Chuckry
My name is Kyle Chuckry, our Swimmable Waters Data Assistant for 2026! I have a background in chemistry and environmental sciences from my studies at Niagara College’s Environmental Technician and Ecosystem Restoration Programs. Having completed my first year at Swim Drink Fish, overseeing the first year of our Algae Monitoring Pilot in the Niagara Region in 2025, I am thrilled to be back on the team!
What inspired you to join the Swim Drink Fish team?
My time at Niagara College really reawakened my passion for water. It’s always been there, of course, between beach trips growing up with friends and family across Niagara, Fishing Trips with my father out towards Algonquin, and the way water just surrounds us in our daily lives, whether we realize it or not.
From projects in college ranging from assessing stream health to designing wetlands, I fell in love with the hands-on approach of water monitoring, and my time with Swim Drink Fish has let me really explore what that looks like in my home of Niagara. The team here is all wonderfully talented and passionate about their work, and it’s a privilege to work alongside them and to learn from them every day!
What are you most looking forward to working on this summer?
I’m most excited about diving into our recreational water quality results through Swim Guide and gaining a fulsome understanding of recreational water quality results beyond my home in Ontario, including British Columbia, and continuing VAST Surveys at beaches near me in the Niagara Region.
Favourite way to spend time at the water?
I love going for walks along the shore, canoeing or kayaking across the water, or just wading in the shallows with friends and families while throwing around a frisbee.
Introducing Zara Zuniga
Zara Zuniga
My name is Zara Zuniga, and I am the Community-Based Water Monitoring Seasonal Coordinator for the Vancouver region. I am a biologist with a background in marine conservation, plastic pollution research, and environmental monitoring. I recently completed my MSc at Carleton University, where I studied plastic pollution pathways in the Mesoamerican Reef System of the Western Caribbean.
What inspired you to join the Swim Drink Fish team?
I joined Swim Drink Fish because of its mission to connect communities with their waterways—we can't protect what we don't love. I also really appreciate the combination of science, stewardship, and accessible information that the organization promotes. I am passionate about water quality monitoring and environmental education, and I love working on projects that help people better understand and protect marine and aquatic ecosystems.
What are you most looking forward to working on this summer?:
I am most excited about collecting water samples and analyzing the results in Vancouver. I love that this work helps provide information that supports safe and enjoyable access to water. I am also looking forward to exploring new monitoring sites across the region and learning more about British Columbia's aquatic and marine ecosystems.
Favourite way to spend time at the water?
Diving! I love exploring underwater ecosystems and observing marine life. Whether it's coral reefs in the Caribbean or coastal waters in British Columbia, being in the water is my favourite way to connect with nature.
