Stream Scholars 2004

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Another year of Stream Scholars is over, We had a group of interesting and interested kids, and some invited guests helped spice up the week.  Here's what we did:

Day 1 was water quality day, and the campers learned how to sample a stream, and analyze the water for pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, total phosphorus, reactive phosphorus, alkalinity, and fecal coliform bacteria.  

Shelby, Rebekah, and Justin run DO test. Shelby learns to titrate. Lucas, Johnny and Meredith.
In the "Lab." In the "kitchen" cooking samples. Who thought taking notes could be such fun?

On Day 2 we explored the physical stream, comparing how rivers form in different environments, and learned how to assess a stream's condition by looking at its surroundings.  Alana Hartman, WVDEP's Potomac Basin Coordinator, joined us for the morning.

The crew gets ready to survey a stream. Meredith teaches how to read a surveyor's staff. The joy of surveying - Alana moves a branch out of the line of sight.
The Stream Scholars classroom. Spreading out for a habitat assessment. The annual donkey picture.

On Day 3, Tim Craddock, Citizen's Monitoring Coordinator from WV Division of Environmental Protection, taught the kids how to use bugs (well, really, benthic macroinvertebrates = stream bottom dwelling organisms without backbones that are big enough to see with the naked eye) to assess stream health.  Tim has done a wonderful job advancing the science of volunteer stream assessment and has taught the new methods to citizen and student groups all around our state.  

Tim Craddock describes a "river bug." Seining for bottom dwellers. Examining the catch.
Picking the catch off the net. Analyzing the results. Still life - today's lunch.

Day 4 was devoted to mini-projects designed by the campers.  Rebekah collected water quality data in the stream that runs by her home in Wardensville, with an eye towards designing a science fair project for competition this spring.  Justin used a stratified sampling design to explore possible sources of elevated phosphorus in Skaggs Run (that we discovered on Day 1 of camp).  Shelby wanted to know if dissolved oxygen and pH in Skaggs Run changed during the day, and Justin and Johnny explored fish size in different stream habitats.  At the end of the day, each group presented their results to their peers, and local science teacher Janet Gillies - who just happened to be nearby.

Shelby runs a DO test, under Meredith's watchful eye. Justin and Johnny catch fish. Rebekah and Justin in the "lab."
Another fish story - it was this big, no this big. It really did change - cool! Rebekah lays out her study plan.

 

So, Stream Scholars 2004 is history. It may have been a smaller group than anticipated, but these kids were great.  It was a real pleasure to spend the week with young folks who enjoy learning and are interested in their environment.

Supported by the MARPAT Foundation, Spring Creek Foundation, and the members of Cacapon Institute

 Stream Scholars group picture.

 

 

Cacapon Institute - From the Cacapon to the Potomac to the Chesapeake Bay, we protect rivers and watersheds using science and education.
Cacapon Institute
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