Join us in this photo blog series as we look back through the lens of media intern Liam Vu.
Liam spent four months this summer documenting TRCA events as well as highlighting the people, projects, and fieldwork driving some of our education, environmental monitoring, applied research, and watershed planning and reporting programs.
Liam documented our teams in action, creating stunning photos and videos that showcase the hands-on work that goes into conservation. Thank you to Liam for his visual storytelling talents in bringing our mission to life!
May 2026
Spring Ephemerals
My first project was at Guild Park & Gardens in Scarborough, where I captured spring ephemerals with the terrestrial inventory and monitoring team.
Spring ephemerals are early-blooming woodland and forest plants that complete most of their life cycle before tree canopies leaf out. During our visit, we spotted Spring Beauty, an indicator species of a healthy ecosystem.
I also had the opportunity to create a short-form video highlighting spring ephemerals and the Spring Beauty for TRCA’s social media channels.
TRCA Spring Bird Festival
Every year in May, the TRCA Spring Bird Festival hosts a series of events to celebrate the return of approximately 50 million migratory birds to Toronto, including many that pass through Tommy Thompson Park.
It was inspiring to see all the various environmental activations throughout the festival! If you have not had an opportunity to visit this festival, please join us next May!
I started my morning by capturing the booths hosted by local environmental organizations before heading over to the Tommy Thompson Park Bird Research Station.
Afterward, I ended my day at the tree planting station, where visitors were empowered to plant a tree. Who could resist a good old tree-planting party?
Bird Monitoring in The Meadoway
More birds! I woke up bright and early at 4:30 a.m. to head to The Meadoway!
The Meadoway is transforming a hydro corridor in Scarborough into a vibrant 16-kilometre stretch of urban greenspace and meadow habitat that has become a signature naturalization project, linking neighbourhoods and community destinations across the region.
The trail provides a critical connection between downtown Toronto and Rouge National Urban Park, offering a safer and more naturalized option for users.
The planned meadow is designed to attract meadow butterflies, birds, and wildflowers on a scale unprecedented in Toronto.
With the bird monitoring team, we visited several sites across The Meadoway to listen for various bird species and measure changes in bird communities.
As an urban and regional planning student, it was a powerful experience to learn about The Meadoway project, the research underway, and its positive impacts on biodiversity within our cities.
Electrofishing
Things got fun when I headed over to the Don River with the TRCA electrofishing team.
Electrofishing involves sending electrical currents into the water to temporarily stun fish for fisheries monitoring.
As the fish float to the surface, the team capture, identify, and measure them before releasing them back into the water safely!
I never knew the Don River and Lake Ontario could be home to such large fish! This experience was an eye-opener, revealing rich biodiversity that is largely invisible to most Torontonians.
June 2026
Terrestrial Inventories and Monitoring
One of my first field visits in June was with TRCA’s terrestrial biologists to conduct a terrestrial inventory at Oak Ridges Corridor Conservation Reserve (ORCCR) in Richmond Hill.
TRCA surveys for 951 native plant species when conducting biological inventories, including 572 Regional Species of Conservation Concern.
Flora species of conservation concern are mapped in regional forests, wetlands, and meadows, and a full species list is created for each site.
Based on TRCA’s terrestrial biological inventory data, the TRCA jurisdiction is home to approximately 951 plant species. We estimate up to 95 plant species have disappeared entirely from the region.
Joining the terrestrial inventory and monitoring team helped me better appreciate the hard work it takes to track the biodiversity and ecosystem health of the TRCA jurisdiction.
Benthic Monitoring
I also spent a day in June with the aquatic monitoring and management team while they were collecting benthic macroinvertebrate samples in the Don and Rouge watersheds.
To do this, we pulled up our waders and disturbed the streambed with gentle kicks, allowing the benthos – insects, worms, mollusks, and crustaceans – to be collected for further analysis back in the lab.
Before this, I had no idea that tiny aquatic insects could tell us so much about the health of a stream.
Watching the team collect these samples and hearing them explain what they were looking for made the whole process fascinating to photograph!
July 2026
Bird Monitoring
I spent a day in July wandering through wetland habitats with the TRCA bird monitoring crew.
Although the thistles poking through my pants were unbearable, listening to bird songs and learning about new bird species was a fantastic way to kick off an exciting month full of exploration!
Ravine Youth Team: Career Exploration Day
Next, I had the opportunity to capture photos for the Ravine Youth Team‘s Career Exploration Day.
Throughout the day, guest speakers shared their unique career journeys in conservation. Even though I was there as a photographer, I was lucky to spend some time networking with the speakers, which gave me new insights into my own career path!
Water Quality Monitoring
Finally, I ended the month with a photoshoot capturing TRCA’s water quality monitoring team! Happy National Water Quality Month!
August 2026
Western Durham Nearshore Water Quality
I started the month of August by hopping onto a boat to do water quality surveys in Western Durham!
Throughout the day, we travelled to various sites to capture water quality samples as well as underwater footage of Lake Ontario.
This project aims to help us better understand the conditions of Lake Ontario.
Thornhill SNAP
Later, I headed to Thornhill to capture some of the awesome work being done by TRCA’s Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP).
After joining a meeting with some local Community Champions in Gallanough Park, we headed out to capture some of the sustainable projects happening in the neighbourhood!
It was inspiring to see some of the ways we can make neighbourhoods more sustainable through community-led design interventions such as rain gardens, pollinator habitats, educational signage, and active transportation infrastructure!
One of the best parts of being a media intern has been getting a behind-the-scenes look at all the different work happening across TRCA. Every assignment has taught me something new – not just about photography, but about the people and projects that help protect and restore our local environment.
As an urban and regional planning student, having the opportunity to join scientists and field staff on site visits and learn about their work has been especially rewarding. It has given me a deeper appreciation for the research, monitoring, and conservation efforts taking place across the region.