Macroinvertebrates, including species of organisms like stoneflies, caddisflies, leeches, and aquatic worms, are known to be bioindicators of stream health. While at the Forest, students collected data about stream water chemistry factors, such as dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, 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 to determine what macroinvertebrate adaptations are beneficial for their survival and what factors impact the health of ecosystems. 

Data collected from Dalton students will also 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 everyone who helped to chaperone this year’s trips; the Service Learning Department; Flik food services for preparing the bagged lunches; and Dr. Jessica Schnell, Aaron Culotta, and the entire staff from Black Rock Forest for helping to make all of this year’s forest trips such a huge success!