Students in a science class at Hawthorne Alternative High School are enjoying some hands-on learning at the Umatilla River this semester.

According to Andrew Sneed, Science Teacher, the students visit the Umatilla River multiple times and collect macroinvertebrates. They then quantify and classify each species. “With our collected data at the end of the semester, we will calculate the biodiversity index of macroinvertebrates in the river,” Sneed said.

A macroinvertebrate is a large (visible to the naked eye) invertebrate (animal without a backbone) that lives in or near water, such as insects, snails, crayfish, and worms. Macroinvertebrates serve as a key indicator of aquatic ecosystem health because their presence and types reflect water quality.

In December, students used nets to collect samples, then sorted and collected the macroinvertebrates. The following day, they used a macroinvertebrate field guide to classify and quantify the samples. At the end of the semester, student groups will create a poster that shows the biodiversity index equation and a graph to show the level of biodiversity in the river.

Sneed said students really enjoy and look forward to going to the river. “It gives them hands-on experience and interaction within their own ecosystem and how seasonal changes affect different species. A big takeaway we talked about in December is how water temperatures affect the abundance of different species compared to collections during warmer seasons of the river.”