Ok...so this is not the EXACT spot on the Gallinas River that we went, but today my first year students are completing part 3 of their training in random sampling as part of our ecology unit in IB Higher Level Biology. We took kick nets, sorting containers, a flow meter, pH meter, temperature meter, clip boards, and field guides down to a section of the river that runs right through campus.
Within 30 minutes we had collected caddis flies, mayflies, a stone fly, damsel flies, and even a planarian. The whole point was to qualitatively assess the richness, and therefore overall health, of the Gallinas River at that spot. I'm not sure whether it was our brief sampling time or not, but I expected to see more stone flies and we didn't. Stone flies are very sensitive to pollutants and are therefore generally the first order of organisms to decline in population size when a river is getting polluted. Interesting stuff...
The real point is that it is SO FLIPPIN' COOL to be able to take a 45 min. class period and get done in the field all that we were able to get done! Where else can this happen?!
until next time,
jeff
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