Environmental DNA and RNA (eDNA) is the genetic material organisms leave behind in their environment, including in water, soil and air. 

Chù (water in the Southern Tutchone language) ecosystems can teach us about ourselves and the world around us. When humans, other life and viruses interact with or live in water, they shed their genetic material. One way to learn from water is by examining this genetic material (eDNA) to determine e.g. which types and how many microbes we leave in our wastewater.

Water monitoring programs across Canada enable us to cost-effectively track pathogens and respond to health threats. Such programs covered up to 80% of the population in some provinces. The challenge is that current monitoring is still more prevalent in urban communities than for northern, rural, remote and isolated (NRRI) communities, which have unique needs and challenges (e.g. monitoring of traditional food sources).

To respond to the gaps in coverage, this project will initiate a case study for the development of a local knowledge and data sharing network for monitoring that reflects community preferences. With joint academic and community co-leadership, the project will help expand water monitoring capacity, with more inclusion of NRRI communities in monitoring efforts: a model for broader and more inclusive future national and international implementation.

The project will:

• Perform engagement activities to identify community partners and build a network of NRRI communities while developing communication resources regarding the benefits of eDNA monitoring.
  
• Perform community needs analyses and create template training packages for eDNA monitoring that can be tailored to community preferences for more wholistic environmental and public health monitoring.
  
• Deploy a demo project and additional training packages to support eDNA monitoring, alongside the extension of a community monitoring dashboard framework. Packages will be developed in partnership with public health and established eDNA monitoring projects, respecting OCAP^® Principles.

Erin Gill and Math’ieya Alatini