Wet and Wild!

HC After 3 students from the Bassett Community Center and the Martinsville Boys and Girls Club have been enjoying VMNH's "Wet and Wild" camp this week. I didn't have my camera for our trips to Fairy Stone or Philpott this week, but I had it today when we all went into the Smith River!

In the morning, the Bassett Community Center met us at the new Great Road Access Point (near CP Films in Bassett). It was a chilly 55 degrees in the water, but everyone went in to find some crayfish and macro invertebrates (see earlier posts for details on the bethic organisms). Here are some photos from today:

VMNH Youth Volunteers ready to help!

Looking for macro invertebrates

Sorting out the different species: mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, etc.

Examining the bugs

Brian Williams (DRBA) shows the group a crayfish

Brandy (Bassett Community Center) picks up a crayfish

In the afternoon, students from the Boys and Girls Club joined us at the South Martinsville canoe access ramp to look for wildlife. Here are their photos:

Putting the bugs caught in the kick net into our viewing containers

Picking up rocks

More macro invertebrates caught!

Walking around the island

Showing the group how to use a kick net, and examining the macros and crayfish

PS- We always release all wildlife back into the stream, so they can continue to thrive in our rivers and streams.