JFiN (Jericho Families in Nature) hosted an aquatic adventure at Mills Riverside Park Pond. The experience was co-hosted by our premiere guests, Declan McCabe (Saint Michaels College Professor of Biology - with expertise in ecology of freshwater communities) and Don Miller (Professor Emeritus Department of Science Lyndon State College.)
Declan also writes articles for the Northern Woodlands Magazine. Watch for a collection of his writings in a book this fall.
Stealth and focus!
Nature provides AWE moments!
The guidebooks we used are: A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America by J.Reese, Jr. Voshell and Field Guide to Freshwater Invertebrates of North America - James H. Thorp, D_Christopher_Rogers. Declan recommends the Thorp/Rogers book as easier to use in the field.
With intent and interest in discovery, we perceive the world of aquatics.
this....little bugger bit me....and I never get bit. - Declan
A small creature swims about its entire world, that of a drop of water (until released back into the pond).
Declan provided magnifying glasses attached to a rainbow shoestring lanyard for each child to use today and to bring home for more nature-life observations.
How to use the Mag. glasses: Identify (and preferably hold!) the object you want to examine. Bring your magnifying glass to your dominant eye, maybe an inch or two away at most. Close your non-dominant eye. Bring the object closer to your dominant eye and the magnifying glass until the image comes into focus.
Icecube trays for placing each organism in its own temporary apartment.
Every teaspoon of water is brimming with life.
If you want to shore up your hope for this planet, look at the intent of discovery in the faces of the families that shared this experience.
The critters netted out of the pond were placed
temporarily into 'zoos' for close observation.
Six-spotted Fishing Spider Dolomedes triton. They walk on water.
After spending about a bit more than an hour at the pond we head over to the Browns River that flows alongside Mills Riverside Park.
And guess what, more kinds of aquatic life were found in the river.
A view into the world of submerged invertebrates is just one body of water away.
Stonefly Genus Acroneuria
Oh Mother Nature, what books of patterns,
what palettes of colors,
what shapes and sizes
you work with.
Final call
One last Scoop
One last look
Back to the river go our newfound friends
View photos from past JFiN walks at
Introduction to JFiN: https://jerichovermont.blogspot.com/2023/01/jericho-families-in-nature-jfin.html
Watch for Front Page Forum notices for upcoming JFiN walks (held monthly).
Next JFiN walk
*Saturday, September 16 at 10am at the Jericho Town Forest (meet at the Starbird Dr entrance)
Also, contact Bernie if interested in a facilitated Bug Safari in your backyard.
Go on a bug hunt. Bernie will join you at your house (in Jericho) to photograph and help you identify (through iNaturalist postings) the critters we find. How many insects or other LIFE species will you find living in your yard? As of June 10, Jericho ranks tenth place (of all towns and cities in VT) with 2,110 taxa or life species posted on iNaturalist. Click here for the latest tally.
Remember to leave room for wildlife
and to visit (them) often.
Bernie
Great photos!!
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