As enrichment for the 9th grade Earth Science and Environmental Science curriculum Patrick County HS teacher Tracy Case invited Southwest Piedmont Master Naturalist Norma Bozenmayer to do a program on Aquatic Benthic Macroinvertebrates for her classes.
Specimens caught in the South Mayo River were brought to the science classroom for examination. The students learned the techniques for identifying the organisms and how to assess water quality using biodiversity of organisms and the presence of sensitive organisms like stonefly larva, mayfly larva, hellgrammites, water pennies and dragon fly nymphs. The headwaters of the Mayo, Smith and Dan Rivers are in Patrick County, making it extra important to keep the water clean.
