For this assignment, I and my group mates Annie and Parkin critically explored a short section of a stream near the Salish Trail in the Pacific Spirit Park, which is embedded in an urban environment.

During our field trip along the stream, following from its upstream channel to the sea, we identified several challenges and pressures on the stream ecosystem due to the nearby or surrounding built environment such as human interference with trash, the underground pipe to help the stream to cross roads, etc.

We also illustrated several ecosystem services the stream ecosystem provides to the urban environment such as habitiats for fish and its storm management function, as well as potential hazards such as landslides.

Some current uses of the stream/or site by diverse stakeholder groups are indicated by this stream’s location near the Point Grey Primary School and UBC.

We also gave some suggestions to the ways the stream has been and could be better redesigned to accommodate diverse groups and diverse theoretical orientations to habitat and parks.

I find the process of employing and integrating what I learned from class (not only GEOG 311, but many other geography courses such as GEOG 270, 211, 102, 103, etc., I took in the last two years) to a real world stream incredibly fascinating.