New science communication project: Because each river has its own rhythm…

Rivers have played a central role in the historical, cultural, and economic development of Quebec. The current and future ability of rivers to support both human life and wildlife depends on the quantity (flow) and the quality (chemistry) of the water that moves in river channels. While all Quebecers know about major water extremes, from droughts to floods, that can affect rivers, many know much less about the critically important river dynamics playing out between extreme events. For example, some rivers are characterized by regular flow and chemistry patterns, while others have more irregular – and therefore less predictable – patterns. Individual rivers therefore beat to their own individual rhythm, and recent research has shown that some rhythms make rivers more (or less) vulnerable to land use and climate changes. To increase public awareness and engagement about the rhythms of rivers that Quebecers live by, boat on, and fish in, we applied for a science communication grant from the Fonds de recherche du Québec (Dialogue program, researchers component). We are pleased to announce that our project, entitled “Discovering Arrhythmic Rivers”, is one of the 2024 Dialogue recipients. This grant will allow us to create an interactive map as well as other online tools to allow the public to access our research results on the rhythms, regular or irregular, of several dozen Quebec rivers. A series of conferences entitled “Travel Notes: exploring the rhythms of Quebec rivers” will be organized to guide the public through a virtual journey from the south to the north of Quebec. Activities will also be organized in primary and secondary schools. More details to follow in the coming months!