For more than 25 years, the Audubon Naturalist Society has been teaching the natural history of aquatic ecology and training volunteer stream monitors to track the health of our region’s streams. Learn from the experts: study stream science in our introductory classes, and you just might be inspired to become a stream monitor yourself! Our classes are taught by our Maryland Biological Stream Survey-certified instructor Cathy Wiss.
Registration & Fee Information
Registration is required: register online at https://anshome.org/water-quality-monitoring/#WQMclasses. The classes are open to anyone 10 years and older. Prices for all classes are $15 ANS Members/$25 Nonmembers; waivers are available for those currently in the ANS monitoring program and for middle and high school students earning SSL credit. Email cathy.wiss@anshome.org for details.
Know Your Invasive Plants
Saturday, May 30 (9:30am-noon)
Invasive plants that kill or bring down mature trees can seriously alter stream health and ecosystem function. Volunteer Master Naturalist Diyan Rahaman will help you identify non-native invasive plants through a PowerPoint presentation and question and answer session. This class will be streamed online through Zoom.
Introduction to Stream Science Series
Healthy Stream Biology
Classroom Session Section C: Tuesday, June 2 (7:00-9:30 pm)
In the classroom, we will explore how “benthic macroinvertebrates” — organisms that live in the bottom of streams – help us assess a streams’ health. Through a PowerPoint presentation and videos, we will learn how to identify these organisms to the taxonomic level of order. This class will be streamed online through Zoom.
Field Workshop
Section B: Saturday, June 6 (9:30 am – 12 noon)
Ten Mile Creek, Boyds, MD
In the field workshop, we will visit a stream to practice monitoring techniques and to collect and identify the benthic macroinvertebrates we find. All participants will be required to wear face coverings and practice physical distancing. This class will be cancelled if the stay-at-home order is still in effect.
How to Read Your Stream
Tuesday, June 16 (7-9:30 pm)
Learn about stream character and dynamics, the importance of riffles and riparian vegetation, and the effects of land use on streams. We will use photographs of streams and the forms that monitors fill out in the field to practice assessing stream habitat. This class will be streamed online through Zoom.
