Turtle Creek Critter Safari! 9.25.21

You don’t have to travel far to experience the wonders of nature, and safaris are not just for the African Savannah! Especially since southeastern Wisconsin has miles of rivers to explore, we will be diving into Turtle Creek, a tributary of the Rock River, to catch critters known as macroinvertebrates, where “macro-” means large and “invertebrate” is any animal lacking a backbone–also known as a vertebrae. We will be answering questions like “Why do critters cling to rocks?” and “What are those tiny lobster-looking things?” Depending on what we find, we are able to learn more about the quality of the stream and determine if management is necessary to improve the water.

Participants will learn:

• How to navigate in a stream safely to collect macroinvertebrates
• How to effectively use stream sampling equipment, i.e., nets, buckets, trays
• Where to successfully find macroinvertebrates and how they interact with their habitat
• How to distinguish between an insect, arachnid, and crustacean
• How to be confident in handling a macroinvertebrate
• How we as humans impact streams and the life within them

Registration ends September 23th, and spots are limited, so don’t delay. We hope to see you at Sweet Allyn Park, Beloit, WI 53511!

Please register using the form below.

• Refunds are not available.