The more you look, the more you see. Explore the urban stretches of Ellerbe Creek, and you'll start to see blue herons, beaver, kingfishers and hawks. More of a mystery is what sorts of aquatic life this often abused creek still holds. Durham city stormwater department has dedicated staff that monitor Ellerbe Creek's aquatic life to the extent current funding allows. Chad Hallyburton, Youth Programs Manager at the Museum of Life and Science (see the Related Links on this web site), has led ECWA's explorations of local stream life. Working with volunteers and coordinating efforts with Durham city staff, he has found some surprises (note the Fish List). ECWA participates in North Carolina's Streamwatch program, a statewide effort through which volunteers monitor nearby waterways. Below is Chad's perspective on volunteerism and the rewards of exploring and restoring a creek. Also be sure to check out his Ode to the Lowly and Regal Chub.
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I’m not sure who coined the phrase, “I cannot do everything, but I can do something.” Regardless of its originator, I think it’s a good motto for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association. We can’t solve all the problems facing our watershed, but we can sure make a dent in some of them. This applies to us as an organization and as individuals. This article is a call for action. There are so many easy ways to help protect and restore Ellerbe Creek, but I’ll focus on just a few. My role in ECWA is to coordinate stream monitoring activities and the adoption of stream sections, and I want to outline how you can get involved in these two areas. First, ECWA has officially adopted Ellerbe Creek (through NC’s Stream Watch program) from the headwaters to I-85. Other groups have also taken various sections of the stream under their wings. However, we need individuals who can keep a close watch over short reaches of the stream. This includes the main channel and tributaries of any size (that drainage ditch in your back yard is important to stream health) in both the adopted and unclaimed sections. Taking on a section is simple; an occasional (or more frequent!) walk along the stream can turn up signs of erosion, unusual odors or colors, illegal dumping of trash, and other threats to water quality. Stream walking is also a good way to observe wildlife in the area (I’ve seen deer and herons in Northgate Park), document recreational uses of the stream, and just get to know your neighborhood better. A second way that you can get involved with protecting Ellerbe Creek is by helping with more formal stream monitoring activities. Very little is known about the aquatic life of Ellerbe Creek. Without information, we have little chance of identifying problems at an early stage when they can be more easily addressed. Assisting with biotic inventories is your chance to get out in the stream and take a closer look at the urban wildlife that most of us normally overlook. If you’re interested in adopting a stream section, want to help with biotic surveys, or just want more information, don’t hesitate to contact me. A little effort from a few people can make a big difference in the future of our watershed. Lets get to work! (Contact Chad: 220-5415) WHAT GOOD ARE FISHES ANYWAY? During the summer of 2000 I spent quite a few hours with an intern from UNC-Asheville, splashing through Ellerbe Creek while wearing waders and carrying nets, buckets, maps, and clipboards. My quest? Catalog the various fishes found in the stream; where they live and who their neighbors are. By the end of the summer I had accounted for 20 of the 35 or so species known from Ellerbe Creek in recent history. I battled briars, ticks, snakes, and more than once, accumulated garbage, to learn about small animals with names like spottail shiner, brown bullhead, and warmouth, and to add to these creatures’ chances of survival in what is a typically besieged urban stream. Obviously, I care enough about these shiny little minnows and bright sunfish to spend my summer evenings sweating in the stream. But I think you should care about them too. Here are a few of my reasons. Conservationists usually try to justify at least a part of their actions through a show of practicality, and I suppose I’m no different. So here goes: fishes and other aquatic creatures serve as biological indicators of water quality. Chemicals and other pollutants generally flush downstream with each rainfall. Between these “pulses,” water quality may seem fine. However, each episode of low water quality affects aquatic creatures, which can be used as a gauge of the stream’s overall health. And why care about the health of the stream? Because the stream reflects the surrounding watershed where you and I live. Water flows downhill; if the stream is out of balance, so are our neighborhoods. Unfortunately, justifying conservation as a “practical” endeavor has many pitfalls. The long-term health of streams and our communities are rarely upheld when short-term questions of economics or human welfare arise. Save a stream or build a business that will bring income to struggling families? The answer seems clear (though it is more likely extremely murky). So we need to look at conservation of any natural resource through a variety of lenses. Here are some “spectacles” to try on for size: Aesthetics. The Southeast’s native fish fauna contains some of the most beautiful animals in the world. Take as an example the “pumkinseed” sunfish. Electric blue markings weave from snout to cheek, and fade into an iridescent sheen along the side. Overlaying this background are numerous bright orange spots encircled by bold black rings. There’s no need to go to a tropical aquarium store to view interesting fishes; this palm-sized jewel if found right here in Durham, in Ellerbe Creek. Next, I believe that healthy natural spaces, such as streams, are important in the development and maintenance of who we are. Much of my childhood was spent along a small stream, building dams, hunting for crayfish, and letting my imagination run wild. Without those experiences in nature, today I would be a totally different person. Now I want to give another generation the same chances that I had. In Sowing the Wind, Louise B. Young wrote:
Probably the most convincing reason to care for and preserve our ecological neighbors is a purely human one. As humans, we often feel an obligation to act as stewards of the natural world, whether this feeling arises from religious, ethical, or other wellsprings. In the end, I believe this is the only reason that truly will matter. Our natural surroundings will stand or fall on the strength of our connections to this inner voice. Whatever your reasons for concern, I hope you will get involved now. I’ll leave you with the words of the late Dr. Carl Sagan:
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