From predaceous diving beetles to water scorpions, wolf spiders, and case-building caddisflies, the fourth-grade class from Win-E-Mac Elementary discovered that there truly is a lot to discover in nature at the “Water Wonders of the Sand Hill River” program held at the Agassiz Environmental Learning Center near Fertile.
With nets in hand, the students either swept through the grass, air, water, or mud to capture many creatures and see how their presence can teach us about the quality of our air and water. The little scientists discovered many critters in each environment that were not very tolerant of any sort of pollution. From this discovery, they concluded that our streams, air, and soil are relatively clean.
Students also traveled the trails through Oak Savannas along the beach of glacial Lake Agassiz to Death Valley where erosion and the importance of our native plants were quickly brought to light. A hands-on experiment had students create small ecosystems to demonstrate the importance of all types of plants to maintain balance in nature.
Wearing waders provided by the AELC, students found all sorts of life in the Sand Hill River itself. Crayfish, minnows, clams, and water scorpions were just a few of the creatures students gathered among the reeds and rocks. Everyone went home with a better understanding of life inside the banks of the Sandhill River and a few went home with a much better understanding of the wetness of water.
This amazing, outdoor learning opportunity was made possible through the sponsorship of the Sand Hill River Watershed District. SHRWD administrator April Swenby is excited to partner with the AELC and hopefully, more programs like this will be available in the future as well.
