A trip to Canada's Great Bear Rainforest, by WWF's Freshwater Ambassador and NHL Great, Scott Niedermayer

I had never been to BC’s north coast before, so I didn’t know what to expect when I joined a small group of WWF staff and supporters for a tour of the Great Bear. I discovered that it is an incredible place: the scenery and the wildlife, the bears and whales are amazing. But for me, just standing in that stream was a highlight.

(c)Jenn Walton
In that tiny creek, I was surrounded by thousands of salmon fighting their way upstream to spawn.  The banks of the river were lined with dead salmon, and you could see where wolves and bears had been eating them.
There were all kinds of birds, too – gulls diving for salmon eggs, eagles eating dead salmon, and even little wrens feeding on the insects that were crawling on the dead salmon.  There were salmon carcasses all over the forest floor, fertilizing everything from berry bushes to cedar trees.
That experience really brought home how interconnected the forests, oceans, and rivers are. Standing in that creek looking around at all the wildlife that revolves around the salmon run, it was easy to see that we can’t keep the forest healthy unless we keep the ocean healthy too.  Both the forest and sea depend on healthy streams and rivers.
Moments like this are an important inspiration for me in my role as WWF’s Freshwater Ambassador. It’s a great reminder of why it’s important for everyone, in BC and across Canada, to help take care of the lakes, streams and rivers that sustain special natural places like the Great Bear.
 
That salmon stream is a long way from the rinks where the pre-season is getting underway, yet I think our freshwater conservation work can borrow a few lessons from hockey.  Everyone on the team has a role to play, and if you believe in what you are doing, that belief will fuel you to tackle the challenges along the way.
But to be honest, maybe my biggest inspiration is a little more selfish. I want my children, and someday my grandkids, to be able to experience nature the way I have. I will do whatever it takes to make sure that, one September day many years from now, my grandchildren will be up a creek too.