Limnology

 

 

 

Limnology: the study of inland bodies of water

 

At Earthworks, I  worked with other teachers and  scientists to do a group field research project in limnology. We worked as a group to make observations, decide on a question, learn techniques used in limnology, collect data in the field, analyze data, reach conclusions, and present results to the group. I  then developed a plan for Cornerstone students to conduct a field research project using some of the methods I learned at Earthworks.

Earthworks is held at Cal-Wood in the mountains near Boulder, Colorado.

 

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PhD candidate in limnology Dori

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Ms. Clark ( Texas )Mrs. Petersen (Connecticut) Dori, (California ) and Mrs. Browning (New York)

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Limnologist Dr. Smith from U of Colorado, Boulder

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James Creek Site

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Making initial observations

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Pond Site

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Measuring width of James Creek

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Orange race! Ms. Clark drops the orange...

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Dori catches it while we record the amount of time it took to travel down the creek.

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Ruffling the rocks in the creek to shake loose macroinvertebrates

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Dumping imacroinvertebrates  out of the collecting net into the sorting tray

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Ms. Clark sorts macroinvertebrates...


Mayflies from  James Creek

A different species of Mayfly from James Creek. Mayflies have 3 tails, stoneflies have 2 tails!

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Ms. Clark tests the water from James Creek for Dissolved Oxygen.

Using a dip net to collect macroinvertebrates from the Cal-Wood Pond.

 

Sorting and identifying macroinvertbrates from the pond

Dragonfly larvae from the pond

Red Midge larvae from the pond

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Dori demonstrates using the Secchi Disk to measure water transparency.

 

Mrs. Browning measures the depth of the pond with  a depth gauge, and Ms. Clark & Ms. Petersen sample water with a Kemmerer Bottle.

Measuring the perimeter of the pond.

Teaching other teachers how to using a Secchi Disk in the pond

Teaching other teachers how to test for  DO ( Dissolved Oxygen) in the pond.

  

Ms.Clark & Ms. Petersen present results of the study to teachers & scientists.