Water Gear Box

OK, catching frogs can be great fun, but there are other very interesting creaturesthat live in our stream and ponds. Each tiny creature you find hasa unique place in our ecosystem.

We invite visitors to use the aquatic nets available in the wooden box near the lake to explore our streams and ponds.

With a square bottom, these aquatic nets are made to catch and investigate water ecology. It takes a little practice to gently drag a net along the bottom without gathering to much mud or gravel. In the stream, sweep along the grasses and rocks along the bank. That's the best place to find crawfish, scuds and minnows.

During a hot day in summer, creeks are the best place to wade, the lake and pond become stagnate and smelly. Check these links for more information about creek walking and aquatic invertabrates.

http://www.thebrentonarboretum.org/chilrens%20program/Clean%20water%20survey.html http://www.iowadnr.gov/education/aqlife.html
http://www.iowater.net/Publications/Level1BenthicKey05.pdf

At the bottom of the food chain

These tiny creatures are very important to all living things. 
They are food to fish, birds, frogs and turtles.  If our natural water becomes polluted, these little animals would quickly disappear. 

Without them there would be no turtles, frogs, fish or birds... or us.

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Clean Water suvey instructions
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