BEYOND THE YELLOW RIVER

By Steve Paige Photographs

Hidden within the forgotten landscape of past oil mining is a yellow river polluted with gallons of toxic waste. In the late 2030s the oil sands ran dry. Workers fled the scene, leaving it desolate and empty; the only things remaining being the tailing ponds of toxic waste of the oil mining. Animals were left in unprecedented environments, and their populations were threatened. Years of commodification on natural land limited spaces available for animals to flourish. This, along with the alarmingly fast rates of climate change caused an accelerated decline in animal populations. Direct impacts of climate change proved to be stressors on this site. Huge weather extremes impacted the area, with extremely high and low temperatures, precipitation, and flooding. This affected food availability and reproduction causing decreases in animal populations and biodiversity. Over years of catastrophes animals started adapting and mutating the environments they were faced with, growing tumors and mutated genomes. Hundreds of years later I, a professional journalist and photographer, have the chance to uncover this abandoned area, and showcase the detrimental effects humans have had on the environment. This article showcases my first hand experiences on the site.

The landscape is desolate with eerie smells coming up from the river. At first glance it was hard to imagine that anything would be able to survive, let alone thrive in these conditions. To my surprise, as branches were uncovered and the water inspected, I found an abundance of species living among the wreckage of human past. What I saw was difficult to fathom: ducks with two heads, birds with discolored growths along their feathers, and what seemed like muskrats laying lifeless along the riverbed. Are these animals thriving? Or are they being forced to adapt to the atomic structures of their forced environments?

This part of Alberta is now flagged for its environmental catastrophes. Scientists once predicted that the prevalent extreme conditions would not foster life. However, I documented that river as an abundant source of nutrients and life for mutated walleyes and yellow veiled birds, especially for creating their nests. As I wandered into this untouched land I was both amazed at its beauty and scared for my own wellbeing. The toxic tailing ponds once used as waste pools for oil secretion are now home to upwards of 50 categorized species. However, not all of these species are recognizable. I was astonished to see living organisms and funguses that look nothing like I have seen before. The river was almost as interesting as the species I uncovered. Its temperature was hot, and bubbles of carbon formed at the surface making it appear as though it was boiling. Trees lay along the border of the water, with roots growing horizontally above the ground in order to capture oxygen.

In the miniscule spaces between the torn branches I found the secretive lives of the black feathered ducks. It seems that these creatures have disregarded the smell and climate conditions and have found their habitats within the oil drenched trees. Unsurprisingly, I see the ducks are able to move at very slow speeds. The ducks and their fellow cousins propel themselves through the oil river by waddling their webbed feet in a forward motion the same way swimmers use their fins to increase their speeds. Although these landscapes were previously inhabited by humans they now prefer to live in dense urban areas and have abandoned their previous homes. Research, in previous years, has highlighted the flourishing amounts of non-human life within these now degraded landscapes. The black feather ducks are claiming these lands as their home. It is impressive the way these animals are able to create their habitat. Oil has become a fundamental part of the lives of these species, and their populations are increasing and stabilizing within these current conditions.

After hours of observing the ducks, I began to understand their mating practices. The way in which the male plunges to the bottom of the river is attractive to the female. Now covered in yellowish-green oil, the male ducks have more opportunities for mating with a female duck. In terms of hunting, ducks use their beaks to feed on insects and worms that have fallen on the surface of the river and are in their last minutes of life drenched within the oily surfaces. Another aspect of their life which I find fascinating is their ability to protect themselves from prey. These ducks are unique in which their black feathers protect them from the greasy tar, scaring predators away. The ducks protect their habitat by using sharp branches that act as swords. As I was observing the ducks from a distance, I began to see a snake slithering through the surface of the water, sneaking in from the sides of the duck to try and kill it.

The population of Oleum snakes is another species that seems to be thriving regardless of the extreme temperatures of the river. Camouflaged, and very hard to see with the human eye, the multicolored scaled snake lives within the stream bed, only coming up to catch its prey. The snakes not only face bird predators but are also in competition with other older snakes. Larger and thicker snakes easily wrap around the smaller Oleum snakes and strangle them. These water snakes reside near the stream bed and come up to hunt for prey. I cannot see them through the boiling temperature and chemicals in the river. However, I was able to bring all-terrain camera equipment that could be submerged. After a couple hours of leaving the camera in the dark depths of the river, I was able to retrieve never before seen footage. Colossal sized snakes are hungry and fighting with the Oleum snakes to catch their lunch. Just an hour into my footage, I was amazed to see two Oleum snakes “playing” with each other. The female snake was trying to catch the attention of the male by slithering in a circular motion around him. The male was feeding on a duck he had hunted earlier and brought to his home. He seemed unamused by the female trying to catch his attention. As it was getting darker, I decided to reel in my camera before the snakes made it their own.

Unaware of and curious to discover the depths of the oil drenched river, I scrutinized every second of the footage. Very far into the river, very lightly I could see a massive school of fish similar to the walleye. These walleye did not appear healthy, and were encrusted with algae. The oil had created a sticky surface on the walleye and the plankton and algae at the bottom of the river stuck on it. The fish move in large groups and feed off each other’s algae. Intriguingly they seem to be creating their habitats with no issue concerning the temperature or chemicals in the water. Unfortunately, I was unable to capture these creatures breeding.

What is the future for the species living beyond this yellow river? Will they continue to evolve and adapt? Will we again search for answers and destroy their habitats?

Herons roam the wilderness looking for prey. They move quietly among the trees in an effort to not only capture walleyes or snakes but to not get caught themselves. I catch a glimpse of one heron perched on a fallen branch right above the water. It catches sight of a Walleye coming up for air and in a split second it charges for the river diving in to catch its prey. In a continuous motion the heron flies back up and swallows the fish whole. I watch its path as it flies above my head and into the densely packed area of trees. There, at the top of the foliage is the heron’s nest. It flies up to the top of the tree where its babies squawk, excited for their mother’s return. There are a variety of bird species in this forest. As I look around, I see warblers and an array of other mutated birds thriving in this environment. There were about ten birds, which led me to analyze the collaborative environment between this species. These warblers are small with strange yellow growths. The growths appear within the trees as well. Their nests were astonishing. As I inspected more closely I noticed cocooned spaces made with an array of found materials for the birds to perch themselves and seek shelter. Their noises were startling, and filled the air with an uncomfortable ambiance. The noises reflect the mutated nature of their surroundings. It is obvious that the environment has taken on a power of its own.