Maya in front of Hoy Creek Hatchery ready to lead a tour.
As a part of the 2020 Youth Week, the Tri-Cities held the REACH Awards virtually to recognize those working to significantly empower, celebrate and impact youth in the community. REACH stands for Recognizing Efforts and Achievements across Community and Home, and nominations for this year’s awards were accepted in March and April.
We are pleased to report that Maya Uno of the Hoy/Scott Watershed Society won in the youth category. The press release by the City of Coquitlam states that, “Maya Uno, is an active volunteer at Hoy Creek Hatchery’s salmon enhancement program whose dedication sets an example for the hatchery’s other youth volunteers.”
All recipients were congratulated by the mayor of Coquitlam, Richard Stewart.
“Maya is well-deserving of this award,” said HSWS president, Robbin Whachell. “She has been helping the Society since she was 12 years old and will graduate high school this year.”
The following is from our nomination:
For over 7 years, Maya has been actively volunteering at the Hoy Creek Hatchery with the salmon enhancement program. She's led tours of the hatchery for visiting judges of the annual Communities in Bloom competition that the City competes in and leads summer tours for children from schools, daycares, as well as city programs. Maya also sits on the local committee on invasive species. Currently, she's a weekly salmon feeder at the hatchery and is leading the development of a new 'salmon talk' to be provided to children and adults at the society's annual Salmon Come Home event, formerly done by salmon educator, the late Chris Hamming.
Maya led 25 tours over the summer months, continues to assist with weekly hatchery monitoring and fish feeding. She's also assisting in the society's historic record transfer to the City Archives and leading the reorganization of the hatcheries office and supply area. She manned the society's booth at the City's Welcome to Coquitlam event answering questions and educating the public about the society and the watershed. She helped with the annual stream clean in August helping remove trash from Scott Creek. She is currently working on reestablishing the 'Salmon Talk' which she is developing for the next 'Salmon Come Home' event in fall 2020. Maya often helps lead hatchery open houses.
The Society has watched Maya grow up and mature over the past seven years and is extremely proud of the work Maya continues to do. She's setting an example for the other youth members in the group (and our community), and takes it upon herself to show up at monthly Society meetings and provides constructive input which often leading to positive change. She's comfortable speaking to the public during tours or at our Society events or city events. She has a keen interest in sharing her knowledge.
In 2015, and at the age of 12, Maya was acknowledged for her work with the Hoy/Scott Watershed Society by the City of Coquitlam for her environmental work. That same year Mia organized a half-day field trip for her school class to the Hoy Creek hatchery and watershed, where they learned about the salmon and the enhancement program with hands-on actives. They also learned about invasive and non-invasive plants species and did some planting along Hoy Creek.
Congratulations Maya! We are fortunate to have your support.