Ruiyi helping at a hatchery open house.
A passion for animals leads a Secondary student to the Hoy Creek Hatchery
For our October Volunteer of the Month, the Hoy/Scott Watershed Society is pleased to recognize Ruiyi Xiong, a student at Port Moody Secondary School who has been volunteering with us since February 2026.
Ruiyi was drawn to the hatchery by her love of animals and the opportunity to help care for and raise salmon. What began as an interest in helping salmon has become a meaningful volunteer experience—and one she has encouraged her friends to join as well.
“I love animals. When I heard that there was an opportunity to take care of and raise salmon here, I was immediately interested.”
Since joining our volunteer team, Ruiyi has taken on a variety of important tasks around the hatchery. Her regular roles include feeding the salmon and helping remove invasive species from the area.
For Ruiyi, one of the most rewarding parts of volunteering is seeing the young salmon and knowing that her efforts are helping them survive.
“Being able to see the little salmon brings me joy because I know I am helping so many little lives survive.”
Bringing friends to the hatchery
One of the things Ruiyi is most proud of is introducing her friends to the hatchery and encouraging them to volunteer.
She says it makes her happy to have helped her friends discover a place where they enjoy giving back, while also providing the hatchery with additional helping hands.
It is exactly the kind of ripple effect that makes a volunteer community so valuable. One person gets involved, shares their experience with others, and suddenly more people are contributing to the care of our local watershed.
Learning about salmon and watershed stewardship
Ruiyi’s time at the hatchery has also given her a much better understanding of the salmon life cycle and the work involved in conservation.
Through volunteering, she has learned about how salmon are caught in October, where and how their eggs are incubated, and how much care and feeding young salmon require to remain healthy.
These hands-on experiences provide an important connection between people and the natural environment right here in our community.
Ruiyi helping shovel out sediment from the rearing pond.
Her advice to future volunteers
For anyone thinking about volunteering at the Hoy Creek Hatchery, Ruiyi has some simple advice:
“If you are passionate about taking care of the environment, this experience should be low-stress and fun.”
We couldn’t agree more.
The hatchery relies on volunteers of all ages to help with the many tasks involved in raising salmon and caring for the surrounding environment. Ruiyi is a wonderful example of how young people can make a meaningful contribution—and how volunteering can be both rewarding and enjoyable.
Thank you, Ruiyi, for your enthusiasm, dedication and willingness to bring others along with you. We are grateful for everything you do to support the hatchery, the salmon and the Hoy Creek watershed.
