1. by Kathy Woodard Save Our Streams SOS: www.people.virginia.edu/~sos-iwla/Stream-Study/StreamStudyHomePage/StreamStudy.HTML Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

2. What is Save Our Streams? Student and community member volunteers: Get trained in macroinvertebrate identification Monitor a stream 4 times a year Send results to the SOS database A Biological Stream Monitoring Program Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

3. Why Save Our Streams? Learn more about stream ecology Discover how clean your stream is Share your data with others Take action to keep your watershed clean Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

4. SOS and SOLs You can teach many Virginia SOLs through the SOS program: Kindergarten: K.1, K.6 1 st grade: 1.1, 1.5, 1.7, 1.8 2 nd grade: 2.1, 2.4, 2.5 3 rd grade: 3.1, 3.6, 3.9, 3.10 4 th grade: 4.1, 4.5, 4.8 5 th grade: 5.1 6 th grade: 6.1, 6.8, 6.9, 6.11 Life Science: LS1, LS4, LS5, LS7, LS10, LS11, LS12 Earth Science: ES1, ES7, ES9 Biology: BIO1, BIO3, BIO7, BIO9 For details on the SOLs listed above visit http://www.pen.k12.va.us/go/Sols/science.html. Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

5. Steps to Get Started 1. Choose training or a certified monitor 2. Locate a Stream Site 3. Review Safety Procedures 4. Collect Macroinvertebrates 5. Identify Macroinvertebrates 6. Record Data to Determine Stream Health You Are Ready to Save Our Streams Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

6. 1. Choose: Training Certified Monitor or a Set up a 3-4 hour training session. In Virginia contact Carol Harlow of SOS at: 540-377-6179, or creeks63@hotmail.com. LEEP has volunteers who are already certified. Contact Kathy Woodard at: 540-872-2897, or woodard_kathy@hotmail. com Or visit www.sosva.com and choose “Methods” Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

7. 2. Locate a Stream Site Find a stream in your area using maps. Visit mapquest.com, or call Va. Dept. of Mineral Resources 804-951- 6340 to order $4 topographic maps. mapquest.com Ask the landowner for permission. Your county office will have maps that show who owns the land. Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

8. 3. Review Safety Procedures Bring a first aid kit One adult for every six children under 18 Work only in good weather Do not work on steep slopes or rapids Never drink stream water Do not handle sharp objects or broken glass Stay with the group & wash hands when done Never put hands or feet where you cannot see Watch out for snakes and other wildlife Modified from Conducting a Stream Cleanup – A How To Manual, VA DCR Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

9. 4. Collect Macroinvertebrates Gather water insects and crustaceans with nets or sieves. Rub rocks to remove bugs. Keep in containers filled with water, so you can return them to the stream later. Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

10. 5. Identify Macroinvertebrates You may want to practice with the online identification key available at www.people.virginia.edu/~sos- iwla/Stream-Studywww.people.virginia.edu/~sos- iwla/Stream-Study Print a field guide from www.sosva.com/bugidcard.doc to use at the stream. www.sosva.com/bugidcard.doc Click on your answer: Scientific drawings from www.people.virginia.edu/~sos-iwla Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

11. Mayfly Larva Mayfly Larva are very sensitive to pollution. Try Again No, sorry! That means if you had found one you would know your water quality was excellent, because they can only survive in clean water. Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

12. Dragonfly Larva Continue Yes, great observation! Dragonfly Larva are somewhat sensitive to pollution. They can survive in clean, or moderately polluted water. At least you know your water is not very polluted. To see if it is clean or moderately polluted you would need to identify the other macroinvertebrates you found. Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

13. Leech Try Again No, sorry! Leeches are not sensitive to pollution. They can survive in clean, moderately polluted, or very polluted water. So you would have to see what other macroinvertebrates you found to determine your water quality. Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

14. 6. Record Data to Determine Stream Health www.sosva.com/methods.htm or http://www.people.virginia.edu /~sos-iwla/Stream- Study/Methods/Form.HTML www.sosva.com/methods.htm http://www.people.virginia.edu /~sos-iwla/Stream- Study/Methods/Form.HTML Data forms available at 641 11 State of the York Watershed 2000 Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

15. You Are Ready to Save Our Streams! Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

16. Works Cited Mills, B. & S. State of the York Watershed 2000. VA DCR. Conducting a Stream Cleanup – A How To Manual. www.people.virginia.edu/~sos-iwla /Stream-Study www.mapquest.com www.sosva.com www.pen.k12.va.us/go/Sols/science.html Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education