Train to be a stream monitor

Pike County Conservation District is hosting a free online webinar to introduce local residents to the Leaf Pack Network stream monitoring program.

The webinar will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6.

The Leaf Pack Network is a program for monitoring stream health by placing packs of leaves in a stream for three to four weeks to see which macroinvertebrates colonize them.

Macroinvertebrates are widely used indicators of water quality and habitat stability. The program is a great opportunity for families with children, teachers looking for new ways to engage students, and community associations interested in hands-on learning to discover an educational way to explore their local streams.

The Leaf Pack Network coordinator, Tara Muenz of Stroud Water Research Center, will explain the various ways to get involved; how to plan your study; assemble and place leaf packs; identify the macroinvertebrates collected; and record the results. She will share the many tools Stroud offers for free, including their database in which to record and share results internationally.

Watershed specialist Rachel Posavetz will introduce the Pike County Conservation District Leaf Pack Network Exploration Initiative, which will explain how to participate in the Stroud study or just learn more about your streams.

Communications coordinator Devan George will provide information on the district’s $500 Environmental Education grant, which is available to offset costs to participate in a Leaf Pack Network project for teachers, community associations or youth groups. The conservation district hopes local residents will join them and then follow along on its social media platforms.

Registration for the webinar is required by March 26. For more information or to register, visit the events page at PikeConservation.org, email dgeorge@pikepa.org, or call 570-226-8220.