CRPA Members Provide macrobenthos Training to Local College Students

On September 22 2014, four CRPA members conducted a class/lab for 16 ecology students from Dabney S. Lancaster Community College (DSLCC). Brian Keiling, chair of the Forestry Department and their instructor, accompanied the students. Dave Peters presented an excellent class on how monitoring benthic macro invertebrates is a tool to assess the health of the river. He familiarized the students with preserved specimens and then sent them into the river to collect live organisms. The students returned with their catch nets, identified the organisms and tallied the numbers. Mike Whiteside hosted the class at his house on the river and assisted the students while they were in the river. Kathy Farmer assisted in serving the lunch provided by the CRPA. Puggy Farmer coordinated a lab assignment with Mr. Keiling for the students to submit for grading.