My watermark is Lake Erie. Growing up in a small fishing village, I quickly learned how the Lake acts as the heartbeat of our community. Many aspects of our community are centred around Lake Erie. This Great Lake provides a strong sense of identity to our small village. Fishing, swimming, boating, beach walks... we even have an annual summer festival in which people gather at the harbour and celebrate our village over fishing competitions, fish fries, parades and live music. Many of my friends and family work in the fishing industry, continuing a long line of multigenerational fishers. Community members and visitors look to the shores of Lake Erie as a place to gather, reflect, relax and connect with nature.

One afternoon after school my friends and I wanted to go to the beach and swim. However, there were signs saying the water was unsafe and not recommended for swimming. There was a potent sour smell and a noticeable layer of green murky algae floating atop the lake. Lake Erie was undergoing harmful algae blooms (HABs). I saw how this affected our community as a village that heavily relied on tourism and the fishing industry. The perception of Lake Erie as the heartbeat of our community was beginning to fade.

It was this event that sparked my interest in environmental science. I joined my high school environmental club in which we collaborated with community members and politicians to develop a plan to restore and revitalize Lake Erie. I then went on to study environmental toxicology at university focusing on freshwater environments, always keeping in mind the small village on the shores of Lake Erie that sparked my passion for aquatic health.