AQUATIC INSECTS: ECOLOGY AND USE IN DETERMINING STREAM WATER QUALITY

Aquatic insects, such as mayflies, caddisflies, stone flies, and dragonflies, are cold-blooded organisms that mostly live on stream bottoms, in gravel, fallen tree leaves, and woody debris.  While most other insects are dormant during the winter months, most Michigan aquatic insects are active winter feeders which metamorphose into adults in the spring and complete their life cycle.  Join Hannah-Maria Jacques, Ph.D., from the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, and Sumengen Sutomo, DrPH, from Bangung Indonesia Foundation, for this informative presentation. We will sample two streams to show examples of the local aquatic insect fauna.  Such insects are used by states and federal government to determine the biological integrity of the stream or lake being sampled.  The program is all outdoors, so dress for the weather.  A hand lens, or magnifying glass, will be helpful.  We will meet at the lower parking lot and carpool to the sampling sites from there.

Cost: $2/person or $5/family. Eddy Discovery Center, 17030 Bush Rd. in the Waterloo Recreation Area near Chelsea.  Program limited to 15 participants.  The building is closed so program will be entirely outdoors.  Please register for this program by emailing waterloonha@gmail.com with your name, phone number and number of people attending.