07/24/2026
New Job Title: Professional Bug Catchers!! ššŖ²
If youāve stopped by the Powwow Grounds or near the river, you may have seen some unusual-looking equipment in the water. Donāt worry, itās not trash!
Our environmental team has recently installed artificial substrate collectors as part of our habitat assessment and water quality monitoring program. These collectors provide a place for tiny aquatic insects (macroinvertebrates) to colonize and make themselves at home for the next couple of weeks.
Why do we do this? Natural stream bottoms vary at each site, making it difficult to compare sites. Artificial substrates create a uniform habitat among each monitoring location, allowing for more consistent data that will help us better understand the health of our waterways. These tiny macroinvertebrates are sensitive to pollution and environmental changes, making them truly some of the best indicators of stream health.
As you can see, our team had quite the adventure installing these! Sometimes youāve got to hike through the woods with cinder blocks in your backpack in the name of science. We promise thereās a method to the madness!
You may have noticed the plastic jug attached to it. The jug is part of the equipment, as they are there to mark and stabilize the equipment. This is not trash! We know it may look a little unusual, but if you come across one, please leave it exactly where it is. Moving, removing, or damaging these collectors can disrupt several weeks of our scientific monitoring and affect data we are collecting to help our waterways!
We will be checking on these bug collectors weekly, but if you see them displaced or have additional questions, please donāt hesitate to contact us!
Field phone: (641)-481-1491
Office phone: (641)-484-3511
-MNR Intern, Isabela Vallejo
