The Water, the Stars, the People

Can a single event bring together the land, the water, the stars, and us? Turns out, it can!

Jennifer, our Edmonton Water Monitoring Coordinator attended the Meteor Shower Watchparty on Saturday, August 15th, hosted by the Touch Grass Club!

The watchparty was at Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, about 45 minutes southeast of Edmonton. It has been designated as a dark sky preserve and Important Bird Area (IBA). The park is also part of the Cooking Lake Moraine, also known as the Beaver Hills Biosphere which received a UNESCO designation in 2016. This makes it rich in wetlands!

The event kicked off with guided forest walks led by local organizations and knowledge-keepers. Jennifer had the privilege of leading a walk with participants who were keen to learn about water literacy. As we walked by the lake, we talked about watersheds, our source waters, and the water history of Miquelon Lake, just in time to see a colourful sunset as mist hung in the air. We also provided printed handouts at the shared resource table.

It was perhaps the latest evening event ever attended by Swim Drink Fish, but it was worth it with clear views of the Milky Way and the Perseids meteor shower. Using telescopes, we were able to peer at the Andromeda Galaxy and Saturn as well!

The crowd of 100+ people had the honour of listening to teachings from Elder Rick Lightning, Natasha Donahue, and Mark Taylor. From explanations of how Indigenous peoples often call themselves the "Star People," to stories of the constellations, it was an enriching experience. It was also a chance to meet other local groups, including Beyond the River, the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance (NSWA), and Climate Justice Edmonton (CJE). We enjoyed chilli, bannock, and hot chocolate in community, all coming together to appreciate the land, water, stars, and each other.