Bonnechere River Watershed Project

In collaboration with Citizens Environmental Watch (CEW) at the University of Toronto, we will continue a hands-on learning initiative for students from the four watershed high schools: Renfrew Collegiate Institute, St. Joseph’s High School, Renfrew; Opeongo High School; and, Madawaska District Valley High School. The water courses analyzed include Hurd’s Creek, Byer’s Creek, Smith’s Creek and Mink Creek.

Grade 10 biology students spend a day collecting stream bottom insects to help determine the health of the water system. This includes a short lesson, stream sampling and then identification and counting of the specimens collected to give an indication of the biodiversity and abundance of stream inhabitants, which in turn through calculations provides an insight to what is happening in the stream. Students put their knowledge of scientific investigation to work in this program.

Support for these programs has been provided by a major grant from the CIBC, Killaloe Branch. Support from Ontario Power Generation is also gratefully acknowledged.

Opeongo High School students monitor Hurds Creek

The benthic macroinvertebrates in Hurds Creek in the autumn and spring in the vicinity of the Augsburg Rd culvert. Benthic macroinvertebrates are used as biological indicators of water quality and stream health. Typical stream-bottom invertebrates include snails, clams, worms, leeches, and the larval stages of dragonflies, mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies. Measuring the density and diversity of benthic invertebrates provides valuable clues when assessing the quality of surface water. Benthic invertebrates serve as a barometer to changes in water pollution over time, and exhibit a wide-range of sensitivity to various levels of environmental stress. The absence of sensitive benthic species or the dominance of pollution-tolerant species can indicate that water quality is degraded.

Student Report

2004-05
We spent one morning going through the protocol for properly collecting the samples from Hurds Creek. We spent the second day in the classroom identifying the benthics that we had caught, tabulating the number of each then analyzing the results. As with the results found at the same site in the Fall using this technique the results indicated that the site was unimpaired.

The most dominant species of benthics found were stoneflies. Stonefly, Caddisfly and Mayfly all require gravelly stream bottoms with good concentrations of dissolved oxygen and are typically found in high quality stream environments. These three species at the rates found in the sample serve as indicators of both good water and habitat quality status.

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Analysis was used to collect baseline data over time. Although no major conclusions can be drawn from the past year’s work it does set up the opportunity to view the site over the next several years at which time a more definitive conclusion can be made.
2005-6
As has been the case with each sampling effort the students found new things within the sample and noted the changes in the sample site. This year the student’s found a large number of mayflies and stoneflies and noted some clearing that had taken place on the site over winter. The students were also able to see a crawfish carrying eggs, live fish eggs and woodland flowers in bloom.
The experiment continued in class with the students taking a closer look at their sample and bringing those results together for the analysis. The water quality in the creek appears to be good based on the benthic macroinvertebrate study which is consistent with the results found in both previous occasions.

In 2004 we partnered with the Renfrew County Chapter of the Ontario Woodlot Association to launch a pilot project on forests. In 2006, the program was run at Admaston Public School. A field trip and an in-class session focused on four topics: tree identification; wetlands; wildlife habitat and timber harvesting.

Currently the leadership course focuses on an important environmental issue in today’s society which is relevant to the curriculum. Each class is provided an in-class lecture, followed by a field trip, usually a day out tree planting. In 2006, the topic was energy usage and conservation and in 2007 the lectures surrounded our water resources and watersheds. Two schools participated in 2007: St. Casimir’s Catholic School in Round Lake Centre and St. Mary’s in Wilno. St. Mary’s planted 1500 trees for a landowner requiring assistance planting.

The Ducks Unlimited Webfoot (formerly Greenwing) Program which was introduced in 2002 continued in 2007 at the following schools: St. Thomas, Renfrew; St. Mary’s, Wilno; St. Andrew’s, Killaloe; Eganville Public School and St Casimir’s, Round Lake.

Each class must be sponsored by a local business or organization to participate and this year Ontario Power Generation sponsored three classes and CIBC Killaloe sponsored two.

The program provides teacher resource material on wetlands, water quality and wildlife which can be used in the classroom for reading, science, art, animal and plant identification and ecology. The BRWP provides a field trip to a local wetland to allow the students hands on experience on the importance of wetlands to humans and the environment.