Youth Cohort studies Macroinvertebrates and goes Fishing during Module 5 of S2S YFSP at Manassas NBP!
As we continue to explore Manassas National Battlefield Park, Module 5 brought the S2S Cohort to a major pond hidden at the western ridge of the park. Here, our focus was to look at some of the more permanent aquatic ecosystems, as opposed to the vernal pools covered in our previous module.
Being an experienced angler, S2S Director Michael Cohn was particularly excited about this new location, and he was eager to join the Youth Cohort in exploring and systematically cataloging some of the biodiversity living here!
Another beautiful morning for our Program! We are so lucky!
The pond provided us the opportunity to learn more about the underwater food chain, starting with some of the smallest creatures, benthic macroinvertebrates, and how their presence or absence can tell a lot about water quality and the health of the ecosystem. With nets, and various trays, specimens boxes, and digital microscopes, we dug, sifted, separated, and identified all that we could find.
Our observations for the day included tons of newly transformed cricket toads, each smaller than half a dime, many painted turtles, swallowtail butterflies, several friendly zebra swallowtails, tiny snails, mollusks, centipedes, and innumerable birds, insects and larvae. We tracked deer prints in the mud and one of our families also skillfully netted a pickerel frog!
An Amazing Photograph and a Great Find!
We tried to experiment with glow sticks in minnow cages overnight, but they came up empty. We will try again next time!
Throughout our exploration, we had our friends and partners from the National Park Foundation and the expert field guidance of entomologist Rea Mandarino. Herpetologist, and Capital Naturalist, Alonso Abugattas, Jr. also joined us again. The depth and range of their knowledge is incredible and their support brought such tremendous value to the experience. Our Spies-in-Training were locked in the entire time!
Herpetologist and Capital Naturalist Alonso Abugattas, Jr. discussing the habitat at the pond with parents and participants!
S2S also put together some great resources to help educate the Youth Cohort about what we were looking for in Module 5. Check out some of the diagrams and supplemental worksheets below!
We ended our day with an introduction to fishing. Everyone picked it up so quickly! Within minutes, we caught multiple species of sunfish. We attempted but couldn’t hook the several large mouth bass we saw, but we’ll try again in two weeks!
Finally, I’d just like to share, all of our partners and subject matter guest experts continue to note how engaged and advanced our cohort is. Whether it’s remembering species markers and names or learning new skills and equipment quickly, they really are an impressive group. They are also very fun to be around. We continue to discover as a team and the enthusiasm has been contagious!
Members of the Cohort test their fishing skills!
As we break for Memorial Day, and reflect and honor those who serve and sacrifice, we can also be reminded that it is these parks and the wonderful experiences discovering wildlife that we are sharing together that are part and parcel of what is worth defending and preserving for future generations. In our small way, I hope we honor the sacrifice in this work.
Wishing everyone a safe Memorial Day! Stay Tuned for More Posts as we head towards the final modules of the program! Check out some additional photos below! If you have any questions about the S2S Youth Field Science Program at Manassas, please contact us at soldiers2scientists@gmail.com!
