Ever wonder how you can determine if your local stream is healthy or polluted? Are you already a stream monitor but want to expand your toolbox of skills? Do you wonder what data your watershed group can gather to help better protect or restore streams in your communities? Or are you new to the water world and just curious about the insects and critters that live in your local stream, and want to get involved protecting them? If any of the above applies to you, then join us October 14 & 15 for Stream School at Rutgers Gardens!

Topics covered:
 Physical and Biological Aspects of Stream Ecology and the River Continuum Concept
 Biological Sampling Techniques, Demonstrations, and Hands-On Training
 Macroinvertebrate Identification and Taxonomic Keys
 Regional Resources highlighting the new Biological Metric for Volunteers

This two-day interactive classroom and field workshop will help participants learn about stream health by examining the critters that live there year-round and call it home. You will learn how to collect and count these critters and turn that information into a health report for your local stream. You will receive effective methods to take action with this information to protect your stream if it is healthy, or to document harm and pollution to help clean it up if it is not.

Important Details & What to Bring Along:

 Dress for the field and bring waders or high waterproof boots if you have them
 Bring a bag lunch, snacks, beverages and a water bottle. The LRWP will provide light refreshments (coffee, hot water for tea, bagels).

More on the Presenters: The Stroud Water Research Center is internationally acclaimed for its pioneering scientific research of streams and rivers. The scientists work in interdisciplinary research teams, blending their individual talents in a variety of technical fields to study processes of our rivers, the life histories of individual organisms, and the ecology of watersheds. The New Jersey Water Watch Network is a program of NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection that works hand-in-hand with watershed groups throughout the state to elevate the profile and credibility of volunteer monitoring programs.

Co-sponsors: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection & the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership

Watershed Stream School Registration Form:

Registration Deadline: October 1, 2016

Workshop Fee: $15 per person

Scholarship Information: If you are a volunteer monitor or a member of a local watershed group and you need a scholarship or partial stipend to attend, please contact us!

The $15 fee includes all materials and instruction for this 2-day course.

Workshop is limited to 20 participants and you must attend both days.

Directions to Rutgers Gardens and Holly House can be found at: http://rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu/directions.html

Rutgers has comfortable and reasonably priced accommodations at the Rutgers University Inn: http://inn.rutgers.edu/ That is about 1.5 miles walking distance from the Holly House.