I guess it is time for me to admit that spring is here. Or at least almost here. I hate to say goodbye to winter, but the time has come.

So now we turn our thoughts from playing in the snow to playing in water.

Follow up:

Trail report

Pull out your nature detective hat and your magnifying glass and get ready to follow a babbling brook or a coursing creek.

In your pack

Small containers with clear lids
Net
Magnifying glass
Binoculars (optional)

Getting there

Find a small creek, stream or other waterway. Anything from a raging river to municipal water supply running through a city will work. Walk along the creek—or in it, if it is safe—and take note of what surrounds the creek.

Are there big trees or willows dipping their roots in the water? Is your creek surrounded by concrete or rip rap?

Do you see or hear any animals? Perhaps birds, squirrels, deer or dogs? Squat down and check the grass or shrubs for insects. Even if you don’t see any animals you may see signs of animals. Look for tracks, browsed branches, fur or scat.

Now look in the creek. You may see water boatman skimming the surface, leaves floating downstream, fish close to the bank or a dipper bobbing on a rock.

Take your net and dip it in the creek. Put anything you catch in one of the containers. The containers should already have creek water in them. Hold the net downstream of a rock, one edge touching the creek bed. Gently lift the rock and see what floats into the net. Take samples from several different places in the stream. When you are done examining the critters and making notes in your journal, put them back in the stream as close as possible to where you found them.

Walk down (or up) the stream, taking samples and making observations as you go.

Taking it farther

Using a map, figure out where your creek starts (called the headwaters) and where it ends. If possible, visit both places. Note the differences in how the creek looks at its headwaters versus where it joins another body of water.

If your creek is in an urban or suburban area, call your municipality and find out where your water comes from. Visit the headwaters and if possible, find out where the water goes after leaving your house. Municipalities will have a list of drains and their entrances and exits. You may be able to take a tour of your local water works.

Nature notes

Learn more about macroinvertebrates here. Follow the links at the bottom of that post for more macroinvertebrate activities.