image above: Coho Fry in Stoney Creek, courtesy of Fernando Lessa
What goes down your drain:
Reduce microbeads – they’re everywhere! In toothpaste, skin care and cleaning agents. If you can avoid using products with these tiny bits of plastic – great – because they wreak havoc on the health of salmon and other wildlife.
Medication – prescription or otherwise – don’t give it to a salmon by flushing it down the toilet or the drain. Give it back to a pharmacy. There’s a handy guide here: https://recycling.metrovancouver.org/
And about those storm drains?
Unlike what you empty down your drains at home, whatever goes down a storm drain isn’t treated at all.
So here’s what to keep in mind when you’re out and about:
Your car: keep your tires properly inflated and maintained to prevent toxins from being washed into storm drains. Same goes for car fluids – make sure your car doesn’t leak.
Your dog: Whatever you don’t pick up gets washed into waterways where it can be nasty for salmon.
And while we want roads to be safe, the use of salt during the winter isn’t only tough on cars. Read our story on how careful data collection by the Stoney Creek Environmental Committee, led to change and more research by local universities and researchers.
You can find the City of Burnaby’s collection of streamkeeper groups and salmon-friendly resources right here
But before you head to the City’s list, get inspired with some of our stories about these streamkeeper groups:
And here’s a really simple thing you can do. Share our salmon shareable below about what we can all do to co-inhabit urban space a little more safely for our fellow commuters!
