Field Report from the Gustavus Dock Beach December 10, 2010

Hello from the 3rd – 5th class. We went to the Gustavus beach on December 10th, 2010. We found a lot of interesting things such as worms, little sea stars and a giant barnacle. It was very windy. This was our second trip collecting shells for a shell collection that we are keeping in our class. Our class found 13 pieces of plastic. Thank you Tanya and Lori for coming with us.

Barnacle

Field Report from the Gustavus Dock Beach, 12-10-10

On December 10, 2010, we went to the Gustavus Dock beach. It was windy and we saw a sea urchin and a sea star eating a mussel. We found 13 pieces of plastic. We had big plastic and some little plastic. We found two bottle caps, one plastic bag, two big pieces of plastic, one cigarette butt, three pieces of Styrofoam, one wrapper, an orange piece of plastic from a crate, one firework thing, and one piece of rubber. I wonder what we’ll find next.

Dozens Of Sea Stars

Sea star

We found a bone!

Do you know what this worm is?

Field Report 11-30-10

Hello, from the 3rd-5th grade class. We went to Bartlett Cove on November 30, 2010. It was the first trip with snow on the ground. We found mystery eggs! We only found one piece of plastic; the piece was a garbage bag. Ranger Marieke was with us. Our Principal Mrs. Cervin and her husband Don came with us also. We found a lot of sea cucumbers.

At Bartlett Cove the weather was terrible, the wind was howling and there was icy rain. We found a big fat sea star and some baby sea star. We started a shell collection, trying to see how many varieties there are. Among our findings were a snail in a shell and a blenny.

The most exciting thing to occur was our school van getting stuck on the hill!!! The road was icy and the van tires couldn’t get any traction. Our other mystery was that the school camera was lost while we were playing in the snow. We made it back so we can tell you our tales next time.



Until next time…

Our Questions and Hypothses For Our Year-Long Study

Year-Long Study Questions and Hypotheses
Question #1
Which beach and intertidal zone has more plastic—the Gustavus Dock beach and intertidal zone or the Bartlett Cove beach and intertidal zone?
Hypothesis #1
We think that the beach by the Gustavus dock will have more plastic because it is not a National Park. A National Park is protected. There are lots more fishermen that go there so there is a bigger chance that garbage will be there. The ferry is coming once a month to Gustavus now and brings more people which means there might be more plastic.

Question #2
Which beach and intertidal zone has more sound—the Gustavus Dock beach and intertidal zone or the Bartlett Cove beach and intertidal zones? Different sounds?

Hypothesis #2
We think that the Gustavus Dock beach will have more man-made sounds than Bartlett Cove because the ferry is now coming every month and that means there are more people and cars.

Question #3
Are there more living things on the beach and intertidal zones in Gustavus or Bartlett Cove?
Hypothesis #3
We think that Bartlett Cove has more living things on the beach and intertidal zone because it has rocks for protection, and food like plants and animals.

Is This A Type Of Sponge?

Are These Eggs?

Field Report 11/11/10

Hello from the 3rd-5th Grade Class,

We went to the beach by the Gustavus dock on November 11, 2010. We found a lot of interesting things. The most popular thing was dead jelly-fish. We found about 20. Do you know why there are so many dead jelly fish lately?

We found 13 pieces of plastic such as: ear plugs, foam, a fire work top, yellow tape and more. We also found some metal, and paper.

We found a couple sea stars. One was eating a barnacle. We saw it crushing the barnacle it with its tubed feet.

One of the best parts was we found an orange mussel was on one of the pilings. That was really beautiful.

Thank you for looking at out blog. See you later!

Holding a Seastar

Seastar Feeding on Barnacle

Curly Seastar

Biggest Jellyfish We Found

Year-Long Study Questions

Here are our year-long scientific study questions:

1. Which beach and intertidal zone has more plastic—the Gustavus Dock beach and intertidal zone or the Bartlett Cove beach and intertidal zone?
2. Which beach and intertidal zone has more sound—the Gustavus Dock beach and intertidal zone or the Bartlett Cove beach and intertidal zones? Different sounds?
3. Are there more living things on the beach and intertidal zones in Gustavus or Bartlett Cove?

A Whelk From the Beach by the Gustavus Dock

It's a mottled sea star!

It's a blenny!

A Dead Sea Urchin

Do you know what this is?

Plastic in Barttlet Cove

Hi, we're back! We found 4 pieces of plastic in Barttlet Cove on Thursday, Oct.28, 2010. The pieces of plastic that we fond were a large piece of sheet plastic, a kit kat wraper, a ziploc bag, and a blue plug.

Our Field Report

On October 28, 2010, our class went to Bartlett Cove. We saw blennies under rocks, 21 jellyfish, sea urchins, mussels, sculpins, and a sea otter. We went with Steve along the beach. Steve taught us how different animals stick to different rocks. Steve said that sea stars have suction cups. That is how sea stars stick to rocks. Then Steve said mussels have threads to stick to rocks.

Thank you Steve

Having fun at the beach!

What is this intertidal worm?

Hello, from the 3rd-5th grade class! We went to the Gustavus Beach on 10-13-10 to collect data for our year-long scientific study. This was our second data collection trip. We were looking for plastic and living things on the beach and the intertidal zone. We found a lot of sea stars, jellyfish, amphipods (sand hoppers), and barnacles. We found 27 pieces of plastic. The most common things we found were earplugs and pieces of rope.

Do you think the Gustavus Beach will have more plastic than the Bartlett Cove Beach?

This is the 3-5 grade class and we are doing a blog just like last year. Here are the topics for this year’s science project.
1. PLASTIC
2. SOUND
3. LIVING THINGS ON THE BEACH AND INTERTIDAL ZONE

So far we have developed a question about plastic. We are working on our other questions.

Plastic Question: DOES BARTLETT COVE OR GUSTAVUS BEACH HAVE MORE PLASTIC?

We would love it if you would comment on our work. We will be posting field reports after every trip we go on and we will be posting one very soon. In the field reports we will be talking about the things we saw and about the jobs we are doing.

3rd-5th Grade at Riggs Glacier

Sammy's Sea Wolf Trip

We went on the beautiful, wooden boat named the Sea Wolf on May 5th and 6th. On our first day we stopped at Ice Valley While hiking, Greg told us that there was a rock contest. I won for finding a spectacular rock that looked like an egg. The prize was a rubber ducky.

After a halibut dinner, we went kayaking. Alyssa and Jessie were kayaking and there was a cute stellar sea lion following them. It was very invigorating for me to go kayaking for the first time.

On the second day we were hiking by Riggs Glacier and we saw some wolverine tracks. There was an ice cave and I found out that a ptarmigan lived in there when it was winter We ate some G lacier Ice. It tasted like fresh, cold water.

Then there was a cormorant contest to see who could be the first to spot one. Bethany won that contest. On the way back we saw stellar sea lions every where. There were also some Humpback whales.

There was an artist on board. Her name was Marilyn. She really inspired me to do more art projects. I drew a river that meandered past the rocks. It was calm and peaceful.

I am so lucky that I could have this experience. Thanks to Kimber for taking us on this fabulous trip.

The Sea Wolf Trip By Stephen

We went on an overnight boat trip to Muir Inlet on the Sea Wolf! On our trip we passed the Marble Islands. When we passed we smelled the stench of the Sea Lion haul out.

At Hunter’s Cove we kayaked in the setting sun. My favorite things were the silence of the kayak as the sun was setting.

The class saw wolverine tracks on Riggs Glacier. After we landed on the first beach we walked next to Riggs glacier and touched it. We had a lunch date with the Glacier!

Marylin, a wildlife artist, taught us how to use clay boards. Clay boards are small 4x4 boards with a thin layer of clay on the top. We used it to make things that we saw on the trip.

I kind of wish there more boys. But the dock came into view and we new the end of are trip was coming to an end. It was so sad to go.

Sea Wolf by Mani

On May 5th and 6th we went on a two day boat trip on the Sea Wolf. During the trip we walked about a half mile by the Glacier Bay. I had an amazing paddle in the kayak. We walked on lots of rocks. We collected data at Ice Valley. The weather was fantastic. I loved going outside to listen to the birds and to see them. Kimber was generous because she let us go.

It was my fist time walking by a Glacier and it was amazing.
I love walking. I also learned that the pink thing on the snow or ice is tiny plants it called snow algae.

We saw sea otters and sea lions by the Marble Islands. At Marble Islands we saw kittiwakes and cormorants. We saw lots of spiders at the land. We saw a bunch of the icebergs. It was great to see mountains because the rocks look amazing .We saw Rendu and Riggs Glaciers. We saw some bear tracks. The bear made marks in the tree, and we saw it. We saw humpback whales and it was fantastic to see them. We saw lots of waterfalls by the mountain and some people put their heads in the waterfalls. We saw lots of kelp in the water. We saw lots of silty water from the glacier. Some people screamed because they saw black spider. We saw many icebergs. Some people saw blennies and snail fish. I love to see mountain goat.

I liked it because everybody was having fun.

Thank You Everybody!!!

Can You Catch A Blenny?

Ordering Pizza With the Cell Phone Rock

The Sea Wolf Trip By: Miła

When we went on the Sea Wolf trip it was fantastic. We had contests and also got prizes for finding things like birds and other animals. The food was too good. For example, we had ginger snaps and the salad was also delicious.

Greg told us some fantastic stories about glaciers and other stuff like Goose Cove. In Goose cove a man’s family disappeared and it is still a mystery.

We anchored at Hunters Cove. When we went kayaking we had partners and Miss Jessie and Alyssa were partners. When we were paddling away from the boat a Steller sea lion followed them. When it was night time all of the girls had a slumber party and we played Apples to Apples and it was terrific.

Tasha and I ate a lot of a glacier ice! The glacier ice tastes like really cold water. Whenever we went to hike we would take the skiff.

Marylyn, the deckhand, taught us how to draw on clay boards. It was a pretty long process. When you are done you have a board with a layer of clay and a picture on it.

We really need to thank Kimber because she was so generous let us come on the Sea Wolf. I felt that the trip was not just really fantastic for me but for everybody because every body got to do everything and with a smile on their face.

Sea Wolf Trip By Alyssa

On May 5th and 6th we went on the Sea Wolf. We left Bartlett Cove around 9:00 am. From Bartlett Cove we went to the East Arm of Glacier Bay. Our class saw three glaciers; McBride, Rendu, and Riggs. There was still snow in Glacier Bay.

Throughout the ­­ trip we had contests. One of the contests was whoever spotted the first iceberg got a pooping moose. Rowan won that contest during dinner!

Our class collected data at Ice Valley.

On the first day we anchored and kayaked in Hunter Cove. Jessie and I were in a kayak together. Jessie heard something. She looked back and there was a Stellar sea lion following us. It scared me a little bit.

The second day we hiked around Riggs glacier. Emily and Bethany ate a piece of the glacier. While we were hiking around Riggs Glacier we saw three mountain goats. Our class ate lunch out by Riggs Glacier. After that we went to the place we would get picked up at and saw a couple porpoises. We also saw a huge black spider.

When we got back we did a drawing class with Marlin and played Apples to Apples. Then we started on our way back. We saw a lot of wild life on our way back such as; sea lions, sea otters, whales, and birds.

When we got back my brothers and sisters were happy to see me. I think that Phinly was scared of me because he would not come near me. Millie and Phinly would not stop saying “big boat.”

Thank you Kimber, the crew, Chad and Greg for making it such a good trip.

Our Sea Wolf Trip By Bethany

While we were on the Sea Wolf trip we went and had a sleepover in the East Arm of Glacier Bay. It was fantastic! On the first day of our trip we collected data at Ice Valley. Guess what? I didn’t get wet! I liked it because the water was fast and we caught new animals. When I saw the stonefly I liked it because I had never seen one before.

We saw a lot of birds throughout our trip. The birds we saw were some black-legged kittiwakes, cormorants, and oystercatchers. I really liked seeing the birds because they’re so beautiful and graceful.

When we went kayaking Stephen and I got so close to shore we could see shells and rocks very clearly under the water. The rocks and everything else were green! The green stuff was algae.

The next day we had a breakfast of waffles and some really good berries. It was so, so yummy! While we were eating Greg told us a story about a family in Goose Cove. It was a sad story about a family of 3 that came to Goose Cove to hunt seals. One day the dad went out hunting. When he came back his whole family was gone. So he went into the woods and made a cross out of logs. I think it is still there.

On the second day Greg said whoever saw the first cormorant got a little toy dragon. I won and the little toy dragon from How To Train Your Dragon..

We went Riggs Glacier and there was a ton of snow and ice around us. While we were at Riggs I ate a piece of it. The ice was so watery and wet. All the glaciers we saw were just so pretty! When I walked right by Riggs I felt really exited and happy!

When we got to the dock I did not want to get off the Sea Wolf. THANK YOU KIMBER AND CREW!!!

The Sea Wolf in the Distance

Exploring Saltwater Tidepools In Ice Valley

Listening to Chad Talking About Stream Insects During the Sea Wolf Trip

The Sea Wolf Trip By Emily

On May 5th and 6th we went on a boat called the Sea Wolf. The Sea Wolf’s owner, Kimber, donated the boat trip for free for our class. It is hard to decide what my favorite part was because there were so many great parts on the trip. I learned about glaciers, the history of Glacier Bay, and about some of the geology of Glacier Bay. We traveled up the East Arm of the bay and collected data at the Ice Valley stream. The first night we kayaked after dinner and watched the sunset. It was so quiet that everyone seemed like a part of nature. All we could hear were the sounds of different birds and the occasional swish from a kayak paddle. That night the girls slept in the salon and the boys slept downstairs.

The next day we traveled almost all the way up the bay and hiked a mile and a half to get right next to Riggs Glacier. Tasha and I even ate a little bit of the glacier! The feeling of eating 100+ year old ice was very odd…the ice was tasted more pure than the water in Gustavus even though it was 100+ years old! We had a lunch date with Riggs Glacier, and then started to hike back to the shore to be picked up by the skiff.

When we got back on the boat we practiced pen-and-ink drawings with Marylin. She is an amazing artist. All of her drawings are done in pen. The details on the drawings are exquisitely beautiful. One of her drawings is of a bear, and every single hair on the bear is in the perfect spot. She really knows how to draw. We drew on clayboards that we are displaying in our classroom. A clayboard is a small 4x4 square covered with a very thin layer of clay. You paint the outline of your shape with an ink pen, then color the whole shape in with the ink pen. Lastly, you use a scraper to carve out the details in you picture.

Throughout the trip, Greg and Chad made up fun contests that helped us look and observe. The first contest was who could find the most interesting rock. Sammy won, and she got a rubber duck from Greg. The second contest was who could find the first iceberg. Rowan screamed out, “Iceberg!” at dinner and scared us. He won a moose keychain and when you push its butt down chocolate candies come out! The last contest was who could find the first cormorant. Bethany won that contest at South Marble Island, and she got a plastic dragon and when you pull its tail it shoots out another piece of plastic that looks like fire. I never won a contest, but I still had fun looking for the objects.

The Sea Wolf trip was the most amazing trip I have ever been on. Kimber was so generous to donate this trip to us. I wish I got to go again, but I am a fifth grader and will be in middle-school next year. THANK YOU KIMBER!!

The 3rd-5th Sea Wolf Trip By Tasha

On May 5th and 6th the 3rd-5th went on the Sea Wolf to wrap up our year long science project. We also went to learn about Glacier Bay. We started at Bartlett Cove and then we went to Ice Valley. Ice Valley was the first place we anchored on our trip. At Ice Valley we hiked and collected data. I really liked Ice Valley because it reminded me of Port Alexander because it was pretty, there was wildlife, and it was a peaceful place.

My favorite part was when we got to hike beside Riggs Glacier and take a bite out of it! The ice from the glacier was very refreshing and cold.

Another one of my favorite parts was when we got to go kayaking. I liked kayaking because it was only my second time and it was peaceful and calm. I heard birds like oyster catchers and Barrow’s golden eyes.

We also got to climb on a cliff made of rock. The cliff made of rock was very new land and it was made right beside Riggs Glacier.

I learned a little bit about the history of Glacier Bay. I learned about John Muir living in Glacier Bay and the story about a Tlingit man who went fishing and left his daughter and wife in Goose Cove. When he returned his daughter and wife were gone and he never saw them again.

I even learned from Marylin how to use a pen for drawings. She taught us how to do shades and textures for drawings with a pen.

It was a fantastic trip with very nice weather! Thank You to Kimber and her crew for letting the 3rd through 5th in on there time!

The Sea Wolf Trip By Aishu

On May 5th and 6th the 3rd – 5th class went on the Sea Wolf. We went on the Sea Wolf because we wanted to learn more about watersheds and finish our year long science project, Kimber is a generous person to let us go on the Sea Wolf.

The first day our first stop was Ice Valley to collect data. We took a walk and saw a lot of fallen trees. The tress fell down because the water in Ice Valley flooded and it eroded the banks where the trees were. The weather was so fantastic when we took data that the data collator could sit down on the ground! When were done we walked and waited for the skiff to come and pick us up. In the meantime Emily and I flipped over rocks to see if there were any tidepool animals and bugs. Under one of the rocks we flipped were two red amphipods. Under another rock we found five blennies! We thought they were eels, but Ms. Jessie said it was a blennie. Ms. Jessie, Emily, and I tried the catch one but they were fast and slimy so it was hard to catch. The skiff came and we got the Sea Wolf to eat dinner.

After we ate dinner we got to go kayaking. Kayaking was one of my favorite things we did. The fun part about it was being quiet and seeing all the birds. It made me feel relaxed and calm because everything was quiet.

The next day we went on a hike by Riggs Glacier. We got to eat a piece of it and sit down to eat lunch by it. We saw wolverine tracks coming out of a cave on Riggs Glacier and the tracks were going up the glacier. It was amazing to see that because it is really rare to see wolverine tracks. When we got back on the Sea Wolf we had free time. After our free time we got to have dinner and that was the last time we got to eat dinner on the Sea Wolf. When we were really close to the dock I was thinking where I could hide because I did not want to get off. The sad thing was I didn’t find a hiding place so I had to get off.

I want to thank Kimber, her crew, Chad, Greg and Ms. Jessie.

Our Last Trip to Glen's Ditch (4-30-10)

On 4-30-10 we went to Glen’s Ditch. That was our last data collection trip and the fifth graders’ last data collection trip in the 3-5 grade class. We noticed that Glens Ditch had changed since last the last time we went. There were a lot of green plants and the water was very warm and low (4 inches). The temperature was fifty two degrees F. We caught a water beetle. There was no rain and that was our sixteenth trip to Glen’s Ditch.

Catching Aquatic Insects in Glen's Ditch

Having Fun at Glen's Ditch

Horsetails are growing too!

Marsh Marigolds are Growing at Glen's Ditch

Mani's Field Report from Falls Creek

I learned that at Falls Creek there is an intake and power house. I learned that the power house is loud and it is big place. My best part of the day was walking lots and seeing the power house. I also learned that under the ground there is a big pipe. I like when every one was having fun. I learned that the pipe is two miles.

Catching Organisms in Fall's Creek

The Intake House at Fall's Creek

A Group Picture at Falls Creek

Laying in the Sun at Falls Creek

Sammy's Field Report

We went to Fall’s Creek .I learned that the power house is really loud. It has all of the buttons that can control the power house. I was surprised that the pipe was 2 miles long. The pipe is really fast .I was also surprised that they actually put logs in the river. The best part of the day was that it was really sunny out. I found a shell that is 14,000 years old! It was also fun because we all had good lunches. The water was kind of warm. We got to ride in the back of the car. We also got to see the rock pits.

Stephen's Thoughts About Falls Creek

When I went to Falls Creek I learned that the shells there are 14,000 years old. The highest part in Falls Creek is the low tide zone. I was surprised when Emily fell in and topped her boots! The best and funniest parts were ridding in the back of the truck, hiking, as well as eating and setting retrieving the traps.

The Hydro Project by Alyssa

On Friday 4-23-10 we went to collect data at Falls Creek. I learned that where the Falls Creek Hydro project is used to be owed by a National Park. That I found cool! I was surprised by many things. Did you know that Hydro Project uses water to make electricity? Well it does. The sea level used to be really high. My favorite part was seeing how beautiful Falls Creek was. I also enjoyed learning about the Falls Creek Hydro Project. I didn’t know that the Hydro Project was sooo high up! Thank you Greg, Craig, Kimber, Kelly and Dick for helping us with our trip teaching us about Falls Creek.

Our Fall's Creek Trip by Bethany

I am writing about the time my class and I went to Fall’s Creek. While we were at Fall’s Creek I learned that that the Power House has all the electricity and how it gets to Gustavus. I also learned about that there is a 2 mile long pipe underground. That is 10,560 feet long!

I was really surprised to learn that the land where the Hydro use to be long to the National Park Service and that our electricity use to come from generators. The best part of the day was when we had lunch. It was so good and yummy! Then we played a game of Tag on some rocks that looked like wood chips. I was running down it and I fell and got stopped by one of my friend’s legs. I was thankful. Because if she wasn’t there I would have hit my head on some really hard and I mean hard rocks. Then we went back to school. The End!

The Hydro Project By: Miwa

I learned how the hydro project worked when my class went up there. When I learned how long the hydro pipe was I was surprised. The best part of the day was when we got to ride in Greg’s truck. The day was awesome. We learned a lot of things on this trip that were really cool. For example when dick came and showed us the power house it was awesome. Also it was cool to see all the rocks and places that got hit by dynamite.

The Falls Creek Trip (Tasha)

On the Falls Creek trip we learned how water is generated into electricity, and that it comes all of the way to Gustavus. I also learned that the hydro project used to be owned by the National Park. It surprised me that water can actually be made into electricity. I was surprised that part of Falls Creek and it has a dam and it looked like it was naturally built but it was actually man-made!

Emily's Field Report From Falls Creek

I learned during our trip to Falls Creek how the Falls Creek Hydro-Project works (long story), that there are seashells that are 14,000 years old, and when clay turns into rock it becomes shale. I was surprised by how much work it takes to turn water into power! First, the water travels two miles down a pipe to the Power-House, dropping 600 feet. Then, the turbine makes the water into power (super complicated), and then the power is sent through cables to the generator building in Gustavus. The best part of the day was collecting 14,000 year old seashells! The worst part of the day was when I fell in the creek and got SOAKED! (My feet and legs anyway,) Overall, it was a fun trip.

Glen's Ditch Field Report

On April 9th, 2010 we went on a trip to Glen’s Ditch. The weather was nice: sunny and blue skies, though a bit windy. Spring is coming! Down at Glen’s Ditch the marsh marigolds are finally sprouting! 46ºF was the air temperature, only 2º warmer than the water.

The water was super low, only 4 in deep! The water was moving very fast. It took only 4 seconds for the balsa wood to travel three feet in the water!

While we were trapping with nets, we caught a caddis fly larva, a worm, an arthropod, and six caddis flies!

Our next, and last, trip to Glen’s Ditch will be next week on April 30th. Our predictions for next week are sunny skies, warm weather, and that we will catch more, and different kinds of aquatic insects.

The Solar System in Gustavus!

The 3-5th grade standing where they figured Pluto (smaller than a pinhead) would be if the sun (a soccer ball) was at the crosswalk in front of the school. Each pace that they took was approximately one yard which equaled approximately 3,600,000 miles. They had to walk over half a mile from the sun to Pluto! They learned that our solar system is enormous and that to create a model of it (to scale) you would need a lot of room!

Everyone In Mt.View Ditch

Having Fun At Mt.View Ditch

At Mt..View Ditch

Silly Faces At Mt.veiw Creek

Collecting Data Mountainview Ditch

Field Report for Mt. View Ditch, 4/2/10

On Friday, April 2, our class went to Mt. View Ditch to decide where to collect data. We looked at five different places near the ditch and finally decided on a place near Venetta Rd. The sky was blue the whole drive down to the ditch and also sunny while we were there.

The salinity was pretty low, the average was 5ppt. Our data is a little messed up, so we don’t know what the water temperature was. The data sheet says that it is 12˚F, but that doesn’t make any sense, since the ditch wasn’t frozen. We don’t know if that 12˚ was Fahrenheit or Celsius, or if the measurement was even 12˚ at all! We caught nothing in the nets, and the bucket had a leak so it didn’t hold any water, so I guess it was good we didn’t catch anything. When we were done collecting data we wrote and drew about our trip to Mt. View Ditch.

Mt. View Ditch is man-made and was dug when the road was being built. It eventually empties into Harry Hall Creek, which we took a trip to on the 15th of January.

Once we were back at the school we unpacked the backpacks and washed the tools that got wet and then let them dry out. Our next trip this Friday will be to Rink Creek.

Our class has one question for anyone reading this; we saw some ground cones on our trip and we were wondering, what do ground cones eat?

Salmon River Field Report

On February 23, 2010, we went to the Salmon River. This is what we caught: a lot of amphipods, one caddisfly, one sculpin, and one sole. It was really cold when we got there. The Salmon River is much different than Glen’s Ditch, and all the other places we have been to. At the Salmon River we caught more things then the other places. The water was 35 degrees Fahrenheit which is colder than Glen’s Ditch. There was also a lot of clay in the banks of the Salmon River. The bottom was sandy and rocky. Glen’s Ditch is muddy and mucky. There are no rocks in Glen’s Ditch where we collect data.

Glen's Ditch February 19, 2010

Hello this is our field report for Glen’s Ditch last week. We had a lot of people come with us, mostly moms. We got a lot of organisms like sticklebacks (the first time in a long time). We also got some caddisflies. We hadn’t got any fish since November, so it was a big surprise. If you are interested in coming you are welcome to. We collect data and have a lot of fun!

Sculpin in the Salmon River

Having Fun at the Salmon River

Salmon River

Amphipods in Salmon River

Field Report, February 5, 2010

We went to Glen’s Ditch on 2-5-10. When we got there we discovered the water was very low. It was only 14cm deep! It is low because it has not rained or snowed very much.

We caught a caddisfly in Glen’s Ditch with our invertebrate net. On the way back to school Sammy spotted an insect on the snow on the side of the road. We thought that is was an adult caddisfly. Can you tell us if it is? There is a picture of it on this blog.


Thanks for reading!

The 3-5th class

Bank of Glen's Ditch

Is this a caddisfly?

Field Report 1-27-10 (The Crane Flats)

We went to the Crane Flats on January 27, 2010 to collect data. The water temperature was 39° F which was a high temperature. We caught a beetle and some kind of red worm in a little net.

It was also Naria’s last day. It was a very fun trip because we went on a hike and found high bush cranberries. After collecting data we took a hike and made snow angles. Next we ate lunch next to the Crane Flats Ditch. Then we went back to school.

Field Report 1-20-10

On January 20, 2010 our class took a trip to Glen’s Ditch. We hadn’t caught any organisms since December 2, 2009 so it was a surprise when we caught FOUR caddisflies! Everybody was so excited!

When we got to Glen’s Ditch it was surprisingly not raining! We found some snail shells. The temperature was 36.5 degrees. The dissolved oxygen was really low and it was only 1 ppm (parts per million). Thanks to the nets that Hank gave us we got four cadddisflies. We have been to glens ditch about eight times. We just had a lot of fun going there.

Field Report for Harry Hall Creek Jan. 15, 2010

On the 15th of January our class went to Harry Hall Creek. Hank Lentfer came with us. He gave us two invertebrate nets! Invertebrate nets are nets that have very fine mesh in the bottom to catch very small insects on the bottom of the stream.

Hank told us a lot of things about Harry Hall Creek like, every winter since he has lived by the creek (15 years) he has not seen it frozen! Also, he and his daughter have seen salmon spawning in the creek.

A surprising thing was that the temperature of the water was 40˚F! Compared to the Glen’s Ditch temperature, (36˚F) that’s pretty warm! Another surprising thing was that the water was flowing 39 inches in three seconds!

When we got to Harry Hall Creek the weather was rainy, wet, dreary, and dark! We had no success with the nets. We caught nothing.

When we got back to the school, we had to wait five days before we could test the dissolved oxygen (according to the kit…), but, after five days we tested it and we got 5 ppm.

We all had a great time!

Trying out the macro mode on our camera!

The view of the sky from the banks of Harry Hall Creek

Timing The Velocity at Harry Hall Creek

The Beautiful Bottom of Harry Hall Creek!