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From
the Potomac Headwaters to the Chesapeake Bay
Stream Scholars
Summer Camp
2012
July 16-20
Other
Years: 2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2013 2014 |
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| Ten middle and high school students enjoyed
a week participating in the 10th Annual Stream
Scholars Summer Camp,
a hands-on exploration of stream ecology and
conservation. The Scholars learned how adult
volunteers sample streams in WV, camped where the Potomac River meets the
Chesapeake Bay, and canoed on Mattawoman Creek in Maryland. They spent the first three days in and
around Waites Run at J.A. Hawkins (Wardensville Town)
Park.
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Stream
Scholars would like to thank:
* Alana Hartman
and Kelly Cochran, WV Department of
Environmental Protection, for instruction, plus Kelley
joined us for the Bay trip;
*
Point Lookout State Park (MD) for camping and a canoe trip on
Mattawoman Creek (MD);
* WV Conservation Agency, MARPAT Foundation and our members for financial support.
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The Scholars conducted stream habitat assessments and
used field equipment to measure alkalinity, iron, and dissolved oxygen, an important indicator of suitable habitat
for aquatic life. On Tuesday, Alana Hartman,
WV DEP’s Chesapeake Bay Coordinator, and WVDEP intern
Kelly Cochran spoke about what they are
doing to protect local waters that flow into the Chesapeake
Bay and demonstrated key pollution control concepts using an
Enviroscape model. The Scholars then investigated how
the population of benthic macroinvertebrates (small animals
without backbones that live on the stream bottom) can be
used to determine if a stream is healthy or not. |
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Wednesday was devoted to mini-projects
designed by the campers. At the end of the day, each group
presented their results to their peers, in the shelter
during a pounding rainstorm, who were more than
happy to review their work. |
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On Thursday
the Scholars headed East to camp at
Point Lookout State Park, MD
where the Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Before
that, however, the group stopped at Casey Trees tree nursery
near Berryville, VA. |
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| On Friday we drove to
Mattawoman State Park in Maryland to visit this beautiful
tidal stream by canoe. Members of the Mattawoman Watershed
Society joined us on this Chesapeake Bay Foundation run
canoe trip to provide expert knowledge on a stream
that Maryland
fisheries biologists call "the most productive
tributary of the Chesapeake Bay."
The Mattawoman
is the Potomac’s most Northern tidal-freshwater tributary
to escape the urbanization sprawling from Washington, DC,
and it includes extensive and diverse tidal freshwater
marshes,
a globally rare
habitat. |
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The Scholars
all had fun, of course, but what is more important is that
they learned serious lessons about the science of keeping
our waters clean and healthy. Grasping science early
will help Stream Scholars throughout their lives.
Understanding and appreciating how
our local West Virginia waters are connected to the Mid
Atlantic States through the Potomac and Chesapeake will help
them become better citizens of the whole United States.
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