Science + Activism

by Megan Clendenan

Here in Canada, we’re nearing the end of summer, but there’s still time to take advantage of the still-hot weather. One thing I love to do is go swimming – whether it’s in the ocean, a lake or a river, there’s nothing like jumping in (usually quite cold!) water to cool off and feel like it’s vacation time.

When you head out for a nice swim on a hot day, the last thing you want is to be floating through a sea of fecal bacteria. But sometimes that’s what happens….

When Stella Bowles was 11, she began to ask questions about why she wasn’t allowed to swim in her local river in Nova Scotia. She learned it was because of straight pipes, a sewage-disposal system that flushed waste from toilets directly into the LaHave River. Even though they were illegal, there were 600 straight pipes emptying raw sewage into the river. Stella was upset by the straight pipes and wanted to know how polluted the river was because of all the fecal contamination. She decided to do her grade 6 science project on the topic. After reaching out to a local conservation non-profit, Stella found a mentor who helped her take samples of river water and test for bacteria.

Artwork by Julie McLaughlin, from pg. 84-85 of Fresh Air, Clean Water: Our Right to a Healthy Environment

 

She found contamination levels well above Canadian standards for swimming and boating. She decided she had to share her findings, as the river was a health hazard. With the help of her mom, she started a Facebook page and spread the word. She also put up a big sign by the river that said “This River is Contaminated with Fecal Bacteria.” Stella’s efforts got people’s attention, including the Canadian government. More than two years later, in 2017, the government finally announced that it would spend $15.7 million to clean up the LaHave River.

Science + activism can help create change! Citizen scientists who warn of danger and continue to speak up, as did Stella, can have important positive results for both human and environmental health.

Want to learn about more young scientists creating change? I had the opportunity to interview Stella as well as a number of other exceptional youth activists, scientists and artists for my book FRESH AIR, CLEAN WATER: OUR RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT. And Stella is herself an author – check out her book in the resource list below.

Sources/Resources

Bowles, Stella, with Anne Laurel Carter. My River: Cleaning up the LaHave River. Halifax, NS: Formac Publishing, 2018.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/stella-bowles-lahave-river-clean-up-funding-1.4184663