We have had a very active past two weeks
04/11/2011
The Black Creek Glass Eel project is housed with the Department of Environmental Conservation and run by the Hudson River Estuary Program in an effort to monitor American eel populations. The SUNY New Paltz middle school science program, run out of the School of Education with secondary science students working closely with young scientists, has ventured out to Esopus to work with the program. Our first collection of glass eels was a great experience for old and young alike. We will extend the study throughout the fall and into next spring and combine the catch/count/weigh study with GLOBE protocols and marcroinvertebrate studies to monitor the health and vigor of the stream.
Wader up! Not sure if the waders are more fun than collecting glass eels, but it sure appears to be!
Serious discussion in readiness for the collect/count/weigh portion of the study, middle school students listen as Hudson River Estuary educator, Sarah Mount, describes the process and protocols.
The net untied and pulled straight out, middle schoolers scoop inside the net searching for glass eels.
How many glass eels do you think could fit inside this net? Probably hundreds, but we only found a few. Still too early and cold for them to move into the streams?
Our catch!!! One elver (juvenile eel) several minnows, one sowbug type critter and......5 glass eels!! Can you find all 5?
Retying the net to capture more eels to for the next visit.
Pulling the net taut creating a funnel-shape in the capture section
Measuring the temperature of the stream. Any correlation to the glass eel numbers?
And the all-important process of recording the data. Sierra loved being in charge here!
Heading back along the trail to the parking lot, the middle school students chatted about the catch of the day and how hungry they are; all that work and cold air!!! They need more energy for next week!
