Learn about aquatic insects & woody plants at the Eddy Discovery Center

Aquatic insect larva. Photo courtesy of Waterloo Natural History Association.

submitted by Patrick Muldoon, Waterloo Natural History Association Program Coordinator

Discover the outdoor world at the Eddy Discovery Center in the Waterloo Recreation Area! The Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center is located at 17030 Bush Rd, Chelsea, Mich., just 10 minutes north of Sharon Township, in the Waterloo Recreation Area. The Waterloo Natural History Association Program has two programs in March:

Photo courtesy of Waterloo Natural History Association.

WINTER WOODY PLANT IDENTIFICATION HIKE:  2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Sunday, March 15. This 1–2 hour guided winter hike will be led by Bryana Guevara, PWS, ISA Certified Arborist, and will introduce participants to identifying woody wetland and upland plant species using winter characteristics, including buds, bark, twigs, growth form, and habitat context. Instruction is entirely field-based and will explore both wetland and upland habitats along the Eddy Discovery Center trails with an emphasis on practical, efficient identification techniques for winter fieldwork and surveys.  This is a winter outdoor activity. Participants should be prepared for variable weather and trail conditions and wear appropriate cold-weather and waterproof gear. Optional to bring: hand lens (10×), write-in-the-rain notebook and pencil, plant ID guides, binoculars, camera, pocket knife, clipboard. Please park at the lower parking lot. This program is limited to 15 participants. 

AQUATIC INSECTS: ECOLOGY AND USE IN DETERMINING STREAM WATER QUALITY: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Sunday, March 29. Aquatic insects, such as mayflies, caddisflies, stone flies, and dragonflies, are cold-blooded organisms that mostly live on stream bottoms, in gravel, fallen tree leaves, and woody debris.  While most other insects are dormant during the winter months, most Michigan aquatic insects are active winter feeders which metamorphose into adults in the spring and complete their life cycle.  Join Hannah-Maria Jacques, Ph.D., from the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, and Sumengen Sutomo, DrPH, from Bangung Indonesia Foundation, for this informative presentation. We will sample two streams to show examples of the local aquatic insect fauna.  Such insects are used by states and federal government to determine the biological integrity of the stream or lake being sampled.  The program is all outdoors, so dress for the weather.  A hand lens, or magnifying glass, will be helpful.  We will meet at the lower parking lot and carpool to the sampling sites from there. This program is limited to 15 participants.

Each program costs $2/person or $5/family. Please register by emailing waterloonha@gmail.com with the program, your name, phone number, and number of people attending. Please note that the Eddy Discovery Center is closed due to ongoing renovations. 

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.