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TRU student wins award for invasive species work

Feb 7, 2018 | 10:55 AM

KAMLOOPS — A Thompson Rivers University student has been honoured for his work in tackling invasive species.

Fourth year student Dustin Melan in the Bachelor of Natural Resources Sciences program has won the Student Leadership Award.

Melan is doing an honours project on the effects of invasive yellow perch on the diet of rainbow trout and lake whitefish in Windy Lake, near Kelowna.

He was also a volunteer sampling goldfish and trout in Dragon Lake, near Quesnel, goldfish in Windy Lake, near Salmon Arm, and post-rotenone recovery trout in Forest Lake, near Kamloops.

Melan has also assisted the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development with the rotenone treatment to elminate yellow perch in Windy Lake last fall.

According to the Invasive Species Council of BC (ISCBC): “His work demonstrates leadership and dedication, through research and action, to reducing the impact of aquatic invasive species on BC’s freshwater ecosystems.”

Melan is being honoured this week at INVASIVES 2018, an annual forum presented by ISCBC which features speakers about best practices from around the world and discussion about what is being done to target invasive species.