Learn what it takes to be a community scientist at this free event! You will help to identify the aquatic insects collected from Eaton County streams to calculate a water quality score. Identification day will be held on October 23, 2024 from 11am-1pm. Volunteers will meet in a science classroom at The University of Olivet. […]

Help sort aquatic macroinvertebrates for the River Raisin Watershed Council’s Adopt-a-Stream program.  Learn what these “bugs” can teach us about the health of the river. For more information please contact carley.kratz@lisd.us.  

Please join HRWC's annual Winter Stonefly Search volunteer event on Saturday, January 18, 2025. This is a great outdoor winter activity for individuals and groups of friends and family. There are two start times: 9 am and 10:30 am. Please choose one and sign up HERE. As part of a long-term river study, each January, HRWC looks for […]

Volunteers needed to survey for Stoneflies throughout the Rouge River! It’s easy, fun, and a great way to learn about aquatic insects and the health of the river while contributing to science. There will be an indoor welcome from 10am-11am where volunteers will have a chance to meet their team, enjoy refreshments (coffee, juice, bagels, […]

Rivers are full of life, even in the depths of winter! Join Friends of the St. Clair River staff and Stream Team volunteers as we enter streams on a hunt for the elusive winter stonefly. These tiny insects, equipped with a natural antifreeze, spend most of their lives as nymphs in the water and emerge […]

Winter stoneflies (Capniidae and Taeniopterygidae) are important biotic indicators of water quality. Their increasing numbers are one way we can tell that water quality has greatly improved from historical conditions in the early and mid-1900’s. These stoneflies have natural anti-freeze in their blood, so they are able to remain active in the winter months. Reproducing […]

We need your eyes, hands, and boots on the ground! No prior experience is necessary, but PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Children eight and older are welcome when accompanied by a PARTICIPATING adult; groups limited to four people. We really value your participation. If you do sign up, your team will be counting on you to be […]

Knowing the types of bugs that live in our streams helps us understand how healthy the river system is, which areas are healthiest, and where we need to focus our restoration efforts to improve water quality. Join a small team of your friends, family, and other volunteers to collect bugs from streams across the watershed! […]

Interested in protecting Northern Michigan’s rivers and streams? Join us for Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council’s Volunteer Stream Monitoring Spring Training! This training will teach you how to monitor stream health and collect macroinvertebrates — tiny aquatic insects that help us measure water quality. We’ll begin with a brief indoor presentation at our office, […]

What is Stream Monitoring? The Van Buren Conservation District, Two Rivers Coalition, and volunteers come together to protect our water. We wade into rivers and streams to collect macroinvertebrates (bugs and the like) to monitor our water’s health. We always have fun, and you don’t need experience to join in! Why bugs/macroinvertebrates? One cup of water […]