Studying the youth studying the stream
by Michelle Minnoch

Innisfil resident Jeff Howard, 15, has had a busy summer. A member of the Brereton Field Naturalists Club, 6-Mile Lake Conservationists Club, Bird Studies Canada, Kids for Turtles and Ontario Nature, this active youth has been participating in the Stream Restoration Program at Sandy Cove Creek.

Studying macro-invertebrate

at the Creek, the program is funded through the Ministry of Natural Resources, in which Jeff purchased the equipment needed for the task. With nets, paperwork, containers, a tape measure, GPS and more in hand, Jeff, along with a few other volunteers, get down and dirty trying to determine the health of the stream through counting the invertebrate that call it home.

No stranger of performing these types of studies, Jeff has also participated in loon surveys and others for Bird Studies Canada.

The stream study begins with measuring stations at every fifty feet or so, finding a riffle in the stream, an area is flagged as an area to be studied.

The study calls for work to be done along the entire length of the stream for a more accurate count. Once the stations for the days work are marked, Jeff and his crew get to work.

At each station, the depth, temperature, and GPS location is marked down. Gathering ten rocks, the group uses their new water bottles & brushes to gently wash the rocks, being very gentle holding the rock over a container, this removes the micro-invertebrate from the rock into the container.

Once the rock is clean, measured, & documented, it is returned and the identification process begins. The invertebrate in the container from each individual rock is then identified, counted, and then returned to the stream. A form provided from the MNR includes photos of the invertebrate, their proper names, and their sizes. One hundred micro-invertebrate are counted from each spot, & documented onto the forms.

Along with counting from the rocks, Jeff also performs a kick and sweep, in which he stirs up the water while a net is placed by his feet. After a 20-second count, more invertebrate are carefully removed from the net with water and tweezers if needed!

"The kind of micro-invertebrate found in a stream helps to determine the health of the stream", said Jeff.

"If there are certain species not present at a particular area of the stream, then we need to look into the factors that may contribute to that."

They will also be identifying the types of fish in the stream. Jeff's mom Jennifer, was granted a special license to do this procedure with Jeff's help. Everything is done by the book here.

Jeff says this work is something he enjoys doing and is something he will pursue in his post-secondary education.

"The stream studies are important because these streams run into Lake Simcoe," he said. "When we determine the health of the streams, it will help us determine the health of the Lake."

Jeff has been working closely with Greg Cull & Graham Findlay at the MNR and getting great hands on experience. Other team members have been, mom, Jennifer Howard, Brent Shirley (MNR), Brent Armstrong (MNR) Cliff Vankoughnett (MNR) Mandy Agnew & her daughter Clara.