The Bug Search Program targets all age groups:

1. Early Years Program for Grades K-1: This program consists of one 45min-1hour session (preferably beside Junction Creek) where students: Travel through time in an interactive activity to find out how Junction Creek became polluted, and study invertebrates collected from the creek in small groups and discover what they can tell us about Junction Creek today.

2. Regular Program for Grades 4-6: Our regular Bug Search Program is delivered in 2 parts: Classroom presentation: The classroom presentation lasts approximately 45min. We use a slide presentation to explain how Junction Creek has been impacted by pollution and what people are doing to help to restore the Junction Creek ecosystem. We also discuss watersheds and get students involved in a hands-on working model of a watershed. Field Trip: On a separate day, students travel to the creek to participate in a water quality monitoring program for approximately 1 hour. Staff demonstrate two methods for collecting stream invertebrates, using dip nets and kick nets. Students are then provided with bugs collected by Junction Creek Staff. Students identify the invertebrates they’ve found by using an identification key and a magnifying glass. What we find at a given site can give us an idea of water quality in that location and we discuss what their findings mean for the creek.

3. Regular Program from Grades 7- Post-Secondary Classroom presentation: The classroom presentation lasts approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, using a slide presentation to detail the history of Sudbury and Junction Creek. We detail how pollution has impacted the creek and restoration efforts to date. We will discuss aquatic ecosystems and biomonitoring. Field Trip: On a separate day, students travel to the creek to participate in a water monitoring program for approximately 1 hour. Staff demonstrates two methods for collecting stream invertebrates, using dip nets and kick nets. Students will then have the opportunity to collect bugs in-stream or on-shore. Students identify the invertebrates using an identification key. We discuss the findings and make inferences about the water quality of the site.

If you are interested in participating in the Bug Search Program, please contact us at 525-8736 or info@junctioncreek.com