Putting Sustainability into Practice: Macroinvertebrate Ecology and Identification
Benthic macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects) are indicators for the health of freshwater ecosystems. Monitoring of aquatic insects can help reveal subtle and profound changes in water quality. A survey of these aquatic organisms greatly enhances any waterbody assessment, impact study, or determination of stream origin (ephemeral, intermittent and perennial). This Hands-On workshop will cover both in field sampling methods as well as in lab identification techniques. Collected macroinvertebraes will be identified to family level (some to genus level). Participants will form individual reference collections for their use after completion of the workshop. Our goal is to advance knowledge of biological stream assessment and monitoring as well as identification of macroinvertebrate identification.
Dates: June 4 to 6, 2013
Workshop Fees for Participants: $350 for government and nonprofit and $450 for regular fee (includes lunch cost for 2 days and workshop manual).
Teacher: Dave Penrose –Watershed Science
Click here for Registration Form and Agenda
Workshop Location: Workshop will be held at Elon University, McMichael Building, Lab Room 107.
Curriculum:
Day 1: Afternoon Classroom Instruction – 1 to 4 pm
- Welcome and introductions
- Importance of macroinvertebrates in the aquatic ecosystem
- Introduction to taxonomy
Day 2: Morning Field Instruction at Stony Creek – 9 to 11:30 am
- Stream and habitat assessment
- Use of NC State Standard Operating Procedures
- Collection at reference stream
Day 2: Afternoon Lab Work – 12:30 to 4 pm
- In the lab sorting and identifying collections
Day 3: Morning Field Instruction at Cedar Rock County Park – 9 to 11:30 am
- Stream and habitat assessment
- Collection at stressed stream (at Cedar Rock County Park)
Day 3: Afternoon Lab Work – 12:30 to 4 pm
- In the lab sorting and identifying collections
- Creation of a reference collection