October 2012

Southview Elementary School Enjoys Creek Kids October 18 & 19, 2012

Bioligist Aide Brenda Morrison greets students at Tannehill's schoolhouse with the state freshwater fish, the largemouth bass.	During the presentation, Mrs. Morrison talked about different types of pollution. Nonpoint source pollution comes from something that you cannot point a finger at.
By using the EnviroScape, students are able to see how our actions on land can damage the aquatic environment.	The raindrop movie illustrates how rain carries pollutants into our waterways. Many students also find the video quite funny.
No one expects the water to be so cold! The water in the spring comes from deep underground so it stays around the same temperature for most of the year.	After learning about groundwater from Mrs. Morrison and Mr. Moss, students were taken to the famous Bubbling Springs at Tannehill to experience it for themselves.
These students are ready for a train ride through the watershed. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a common body of water.	Biologist Jerry Moss speaks to students near the gristmill about the impact dams have on aquatic wildlife and vegetation. The gristmill and dam are two of the many historical sites at Tannehill State Park.
After learning about the habitat, students are encouraged to look for mussels in the sluice. Mussels help us keep our water clean because they are filter feeders.	Some students found aquatic snails in addition to the Asiatic clam, an exotic species of mussel.
Students are shown how to use the seine properly in order to catch minnows and other small fish.	Intern Sandi Parten demonstrates how to remove small fish and invertebrates caught in the seine. We got a chance to see many fish which are rarely caught by anglers.
Assistant Chief Chris Greene helps students looking for aquatic invertebrates. Invertebrates are usually found hiding under rocks in the stream.	While looking for aquatic invertebrates, we learned that many of them are actually baby insects, either nymphs or larva, depending on whether they have complete or incomplete metamorphosis.
Working with a partner makes collecting aquatic invertebrates much easier.	Students were eager to enter the creek and search on their own.
This student points out invertebrates hiding on the rock for Mr. Greene.	Viewing stations are helpful tools used to identify which invertebrates were found.
Specimen jars from previous samplings were on display for students to see fish not normally caught in the seine. Information about these fish and coloring pages can be found at this link.	Southview Elementary students enjoyed an exciting field trip catching fish and learning about our aquatic environment at Tannehill State Park!

Thanks for the great fun!
Mrs. Brenda Morrison
Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division

Let's Go Fishing!

Photographs by Jace Barnett

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