Hunter first joined the Living Lakes Canada team as one of our valued volunteers, supporting the Columbia Basin Water Hub. His background in environmental monitoring and conservation, as well as his passion for community-focused resource management, proved invaluable when he was brought on board as Program Coordinator for the Columbia Basin Water Monitoring Program (CBWMF).

During Hunter’s time with Living Lakes, he worked to refine the Priority Monitoring Matrix (PMM), a system used to identify freshwater monitoring sites. The PMM ensures that regional community perspectives are considered alongside scientific parameters when selecting monitoring locations. This system operates as part of the CBWMF, a program to help better understand how climate change is impacting water in the Columbia Basin and inform sustainable water management.

As Program Coordinator, Hunter also co-authored a journal article on the CBWMF, featured as a case study in Water International. “Having this peer-reviewed article published highlights the great work being done in the Columbia Basin and solidifies Living Lakes as a leading expert in community-based monitoring on a world stage,” said Hunter.

Hunter has since joined Clifton Engineering Group as a Junior Hydrologist, working on projects in western Canada ranging from water sourcing to dam safety analysis.

When asked to reflect on his time with Living Lakes Hunter noted, “My biggest take-away was how passionate and driven the team at Living Lakes is. There are a lot of really knowledgeable people doing great work there.”