Our Secondary School environmental science monitoring program takes place in the spring in our pond ecosystem. Students gain hands-on experience monitoring weather, water quality, invertebrates and aquatic plants. These activities complement a variety a school-based science programs. Each grade conducts a different investigation of the wetland ecosystems, creating a progressive learning experience from grades 8 to 11.
Grade 8: Weather & Water Observations - Students take weather readings and learn about the impact of weather upon water quality. They also observe water clarity, smell, colour, presence of aquatic plants and algae, and examine how these factors affect overall water quality.
Grade 9: Invertebrate Sampling - Students sample aquatic invertebrates and classify them based on their tolerance to toxins. Students learn about the relationship between types of invertebrates present and overall water quality.
Grade 10: Water Quality Analysis - Students collect aquatic samples using a variety of sampling methods. With the samples collected, students take water quality readings for temperature, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, conductivity, salinity, turbidity and nitrate-nitrogen. They discuss the impact of their results for overall wetland health.
Grade 11: Aquatic Plants - Students collect aquatic plant samples. They learn how to classify aquatic plants according to their adaptability to toxins, edibility, habitat and significance to water quality. Once sampling and classification is complete, students discuss the implications of their findings to the health of the pond ecosystem.