By Janine Jacinto’s fifth-grade class at Heritage Elementary School
Barbara Transon is a GATE instructional coach for Lodi Unified School District.
Q: How many years have you been making leaf packs?
A: I have been making leaf packs for two years.
Q: Who taught you about making leaf packs?
A: I learned about leaf packs from an organization that studies the health of fresh water s treams and rivers, called the Stroud Water Research Center. They came to California to teach teachers about leaf packs.
Q: Where and when did you make your first leaf pack?
A: I learned about the reasons for making leaf packs, as well as how to make them, at a workshop in Sacramento, at a school that bordered a creek and also the American River.
Q: Who came up with the idea of leaf packs?
A: The Stroud Water Research Center pioneered the use of leaf packs to study the health of streams and rivers around 1970. Today, citizen scientists all over the world are using this simple method to test the health of their local watersheds.
Q: What made you think about and want to make leaf packs?
A: Kathy Grant had a flier out that told about the workshop on leaf packs. We decided to take the workshop together.
Q: Do you enjoy making leaf packs?
A: I really enjoy watching the students figure out what 15 grams of dry leaves look like. It sounds like more than it is!
Placing leaf packs in a stream replicates the natural process of leaves forming packs in streams. Where there are leaves decaying, there will be bugs. Simply genius!
Q: When you dropped leaf packs in a river for the first time, what did you expect?
A: Because a lot of students were counting on macroinvertebrates being found, as the teacher I was just hoping the leaf packs would work! I was hoping that none of the leaf packs we placed would be disturbed by people.
As it turned out, we found seven out of eight bags … one had been chewed open by a critter.
Q: How many leaf packs have you dropped in the river?
A: This is my third time placing leaf packs in the Mokelumne River. We place eight or so leaf packs in Lodi Lake and areas upstream from the lake. We hope to compare the results now that we’ll have three sets of data.
Q: What got you interested in macroinvertebrates?
A: I’m interested in a healthy ecosystem. I was interested in looking at the interaction between the hydrosphere system and the biosphere system as it relates to our local watershed.
I learned that a healthy river will have lots of types of invertebrates and an unhealthy river will have a limited number of varieties. Only the most pollution-tolerant invertebrates are able to survive.
Q: How many different macroinvertebrates are there in the world?
A: I’m glad you asked. … I’m more of a citizen scientists than a researcher, who might better know the answer to your question. I know there are hundreds.
Q: What is your favorite macroinvertebrate?
A: My favorite aquatic invertebrate is the dragonfly larva, because it begins its life underwater then emerges later as a mature dragonfly, and is able to fly.
Q: What type of macroinvertebrate is the biggest?
A: I don’t know which macroinvertebrates are the biggest, but I’ve seen students squeal before holding a 2-inch-long stonefly! Their habitat is actually up in the Sierra foothills. They like to live amongst the rocks that line the streams and rivers.
Q: What is the most common macroinvertebrate that you’ve found?
A: The most common macroinvertebrate when I did the first study was a macro called amphipod (common name is scud). They are mostly detritivores or scavengers.
Q: How many macroinvertebrates do you predict will be in our leaf packs?
A: I predict that the number … will vary depending on where they were placed.
Q: What was the highest number of macroinvertebrates that you’ve found in a leaf pack?
A: The highest number of invertebrates found in one leaf pack was greater than 30.
Q: How many macroinvertebrates do you think you have found over the years?
A: The leaf packs have housed many hundreds of macroinvertebrates.
Q: How did you know that macroinvertebrates would go in the leaf packs?
A: I was pretty confident macroinvertebrates would go in the leaf packs because they’re built to attract them.
The macroinvertebrates can flow in easily and certain macroinvertebrates feed on detritus (decaying leaves) that naturally drop into the water. That’s why it’s also important to have trees nearby waterways.
Q: Do macroinvertebrates live in water with high or low pH?
A: I researched with Kathy Grant and the Storm Drain Detectives. In the dry season, a pH of about 7, and in the rainy season with runoff the pH is closer to 8. A low number is more acidic and a high number is more alkaline. A pH of 7 is neutral.
Q: How would you feel if you dropped leaf packs and then found there were no macroinvertebrates in them?
A: I would be very concerned about the river’s current health. I would wonder if something like fertilizer had gotten into the river somewhere upstream. Rivers will return to health when the pollutants are eliminated or even reduced.
Q: How do you feel about teaching students about the importance of macroinvertebrates?
A: I feel there is almost nothing more important than taking care of our environment, and Heritage School’s Earthkeepers are on the right track. They are helping with local projects that keep pollutants out of drains which feed right into Lodi Lake.
Q: What group of students did you teach first about macroinvertebrates?
A: I worked with fifth-grade students from Needham School last year.
Q: How many schools and students have you taught about leaf packs?
A: I’ve helped two schools study invertebrates using leaf packs: fifth-graders at Needham and Heritage.
Q: What do you think is the most important thing for people to know about leaf packs and macroinvertebrates?
A: The big idea is that healthy watersheds support a large variety of macroinvertebrates, which then, of course, support fish and other critters. The focus of one of the fifth grade science standards is that the hydrosphere is interrelated to the biosphere. Looking at leaf packs helps us look closely at how healthy our local watershed is.
Q: Have you ever thought your job was hard?
A: Sometimes my job is hard because I get stuck doing something boring. Sometimes boring tasks are necessary in order to get to interesting parts of my job.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about your job?
A: I love my job because I get to work with students of different age groups on different projects. Most jobs worth having are hard at times. It’s wonderful to find a job where you are always learning something new.
Q: Have you ever been scared looking at a macroinvertebrate?
A: No way! I saw a group of girls who were scared to touch a two-inch stonefly. I told them to think like a scientist and focus on what is interesting about a creature, and not how much it tickles your hand.