What Lives Here?

Discover the plants and animals that live in and around a water environment.

Group Size: 6-12 participants per chaperone

Suggested Age: 8 and older

Time: 45-60 minutes

Consider…

Site: Locate safe places waterside to squat down to collect organisms. Choose a level place for the group to bring samples up so that other members of the group can see what others have discovered and share observations.

Safety: When working in water environments, make sure participants can be seen by an adult at all times. Emphasize that all participants must stay near their buddy or team and stay focused and aware of their surroundings. Even though you do not need to go into the water, waves and slippery rocks can be dangerous enough to warrant safety precautions.

Materials/Prep: Dip nets, observation trays, magnifying lenses, and pond guide (optional)

Focus question:
How many different kinds of plants and animals are found here?

• Discover organisms not noticed before and how diverse an area can be.
• Open your eyes to how life has adapted to aquatic environments.
• Facilitate explorers to ask questions about what was found.

Summary:
Explore the biodiversity of life at a creek, pond, stream or seashore. Reveal the web of life in a watershed, no matter how small or large, how urban or wild. Begin to learn about the factors necessary to keep our water clean and life-giving. Participants use dip nets to scoop up as many different organisms as they can for observation. This is a great introduction to the life of aquatic systems.