Pond & Stream Invertebrate Life

Identify the smaller animals of freshwater ecosystems.

Do you have fond childhood memories of dipping nets into ponds to catch newts, sticklebacks and frogspawn? Adults can build on this elementary knowledge and explore further the lives of the many invertebrate animals that make up a freshwater ecosystem. Field visits will be made to ponds and streams where different sampling techniques will be used to collect aquatic organisms. With the specimens indoors, the amazing diversity, adaptations and life cycles of pond and stream invertebrates will be revealed with the aid of microscopes, identification keys and, of course, help from the tutor. The monitoring and management of ponds and streams to both assess their general status and to improve their biodiversity will be covered briefly.