Luka Kovacic has been fascinated by Stoney Creek and the wildlife it supports since he learned to walk. When he isn’t at school, twelve-year-old Luka walks along the creek, observing the birds, amphibians and reptiles, or he wades through the shallow waters to catch a close up glimpse of the fish.
“The creek is full of life. There is the nooksack dace, the coho salmon, chum salmon and the pink salmon – which don’t come that much anymore. There’s also the steelhead trout and the cutthroat that come every year with the salmon to eat the salmon eggs. There are many types of amphibians and snakes as well,” said the excited young streamkeeper who hopes to become a biologist when he grows up.
In 2017, Luka began his own YouTube channel – Luka’s World Adventures – to inform viewers about the wildlife that exists within the urban settings of Metro Vancouver. After documenting a series of videos on bears, gardens and birds, the 12-year-old turned his focus on salmon and other endangered species that live in the Stoney Creek.
Through his videos, Luka has given people a glimpse into the lives of the stream’s Chum and Coho salmon. He documented the seasons in the life of salmon as well as their speed, actions and habitat – with a little help from his parents too. “I just always liked the creek. I really liked learning about the salmon and the other species next to the creek and in the creek. Not that many people know all the information of the salmon and I want to share whatever I know with them through these videos,” said Luka, who is working on a new video about salmon fry.
In addition to his video channel, Luka also joined the streamkeeping group in 2020 – The Stoney Creek Environmental Committee – to support creek conservation and restoration projects. He helps monitor salinity levels of the creek for a salmon salt study and also helps the team with salmon counting between October and December – and of course, he documents all these activities on Luka’s World Adventures.
Luka proves there is no age restriction when it comes to taking action to protect the environment – and even little things can make a difference. Check out our community connection and find out how a simple nudge to your daily habits can help.
And you can enjoy Luka’s world adventures here!
