With leaves turning color, life was still wiggling, crawling, and swimming in these last warm days at the pond just over the hill from The Nature Museum and Grafton Elementary School.

We made special attention to capturing macroinvertebrates as they are often important indicators of water quality in a habitat like this one. Students were thrilled to capture various macroinvertebrates that they had never seen before. One student remarked, “Wow, these macroinvertebrates are so cool, I never knew they lived in this pond!”.

We became scientists who were tasked with discovering specimens in the pond to tell if this was a healthy habitat or not. Using nets and containers students took to the muddy bank of the pond, getting muddy and wet without a care in the world.

Judging from the diversity of specimens we discovered, we were able to determine that the water quality was good and that this special local habitat was thriving.

The fort builders head to the woods

Fort building is a way to build collaborative problem-solving skills in a natural environment. It’s imaginative, fun, and builds physical strength and skill — what could be better?

Two wonderful September mornings were spent with Grafton Elementary School’s 3-4 and 5-6 class groups. We safely spent time outdoors learning about the basics of insects and then capturing specimens first hand as we explored the Chapman Meadow.

Using the museum’s grounds as a true outdoor classroom, students learned about the basics of insects and why they are such an important group of animals. A white sheet is a great way to discover insect life in the meadow!

One student exclaimed, “I love catching the grasshoppers! They’re hard to catch but I’m learning how they move.”

Mapping and orienteering is a quiet challenge that calls on several types of observation skills.