River Detectives

Published on 07 November 2024

We were very lucky to have Jeanie Clark, River Detectives facilitator from the Wimmera CMA, visit us to share the water bugs she had temporarily caught from the Minyip Wetlands. Jeanie had photos of the environment the bugs had been caught in, pictures of the possible bugs that could be found and had the children geared up for some (careful) fishing for bugs and examining the water closely to see what/if a bug was caught. The children showed intense interest in the process and exclaimed excitedly when one was ‘caught’ in a scooper. The bug was carefully placed into a petri dish, water added so they were safe, and a lid applied. Magnifying glasses were placed over the top, to be examined a little later.

The children went ‘fishing’ in three different containers, which varied in water clarity, plant growth and health. It was found that the channel and deeper water catchment were very active with bugs, but the dam was much less active. It provided less food and camouflage for the bugs to hide from predators.