Students took a deeper look into the diversity of macroinvertebrates within stream ecosystems and investigated stream water quality. Macroinvertebrates are known to be bioindicators of stream health. While at the Forest, students collected data about stream water chemistry factors, such as pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, nitrites, salinity, and temperature. Ninth grade students will compare all recent data (including data collected by Dalton’s fourth graders who also recently visited Black Rock Forest) to data from a 2073 future scene in order to determine what macroinvertebrate adaptations are beneficial for their survival and what factors impact the health of ecosystems. 

Data collected from Dalton students will be shared with Black Rock Forest staff, so that they may report it to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which grants the Forest its permit. Gratitude to all of our students who engaged in this community science effort.    

Special thanks to Ryan Brennan, Andy Chen, Ryan Davis, Ron Schollenberger, and Bill Mullady for chaperoning; Shahar Atary and Terrill Caplan for logistical support; Flik food services for preparing the bagged lunches; and Dr. Jessica Schnell, Aaron Culotta, Katie Terlizzi, Hanna Makowski, Matt Munson, and the entire staff from Black Rock Forest for helping to make all of this year’s forest trips such a huge success! Click here to view the photo gallery.