Whadia Khwaja: 09-04-2025
As the weather starts to cool and the scent of summer beach days comes to an end, so does my time here at Swim Drink Fish. I write this as my last Waterkeeper Weekly and, although it is bittersweet saying goodbye to the friends I’ve made here, I completed some of my favourite things to do with SDF these last couple of weeks.
Krisiga, our GIS (Geographical Information Systems) intern, and I, the Toronto based Water monitoring intern, were invited to join an event hosted by Friends of Humber Bay Park, whose main goal is to protect, preserve, and enhance the Humber Bay Park area. One of the ways in which they work towards those goals is through getting our hands dirty at a beach clean up! There were around 57 people who decided to come and take on the challenge of cleaning this beloved area which was amazing, but it also meant that I had to present a demo in front of 57 people… Which is definitely the largest crowd I have ever presented in front of! I couldn't tell if I was sweating because of being in the sun most of the day or the nerves about completing this demo for the first time without my supervisor being there (missed you Grace!). I started my demo with shaky hands, and the freezing cold water I had to get in to show sampling techniques did not help with that. But I saw how intrigued people were, how they got on their tip toes to see exactly what I was doing, or the thoughtful questions they were asking. I was surprised that I felt almost comfortable, almost as if I was talking to a group of friends. After the event was over, the total weight of the garbage was collected and we cleaned up over 300 lbs of trash! I could not help but feel a deep sense of community that day, with both my coworkers and those who came just to help their home look a bit nicer.
SDF, Friends of Humber Bay Park, and Great Lakes Clean Up at Humber Bay Park West. Photo courtesy of Whadia.
This was the first picture I ever took of the beach that I was sampling this summer, Humber Bay Park West. This was where it all started. I recall sitting there before completing my Environmental Health and Safety Survey on a nearby log and just admiring the view. I listened to the sound of the water, the way the waves crashed on the gravel near my Crocs, and the many birds that sang in the area. I spent most of my time this sumer at this beach: collecting samples and taking them back to the lab for analysis. Looking at the e.coli levels after analysis broke my heart. Seeing this beautiful area that I have grown attached to have a no swimming advisory felt devastating. However, uploading these results to our live water monitoring application called Swim Guide, gave me some sense of accomplishment that we were giving others the information to make informed decisions about how they interact with water.
Toronto skyline from Humber Bay Park West. Photo courtesy of Whadia.
This summer with Swim Drink Fish has got to be one of my favorite summers ever! The people that I have worked with give such value to our Great Lakes and other water bodies in Canada. It was inspiring to see. I will continue to be involved with SDF, whether it be commenting on social media posts or volunteering to take water samples. Thank you all for giving me this opportunity to share my love for water!
