Everyone enjoyed searching the collection net for macros.
Photo by Amie Ware

Despite cold temperatures, wind gusts and snow flurries, about 30 people attended the Creek Critters of the Catoctin event at Chapman DeMary Trail on March 27. The event was jointly sponsored by the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Purcellville Tree and Environment Sustainability Committee and presented by Loudoun Wildlife’s Stream Team members.

Participants learned about potential sources of pollution in a watershed and ways to prevent or reduce this pollution with an EnviroScape demonstration by Jennifer Venable, Education Specialist from Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District.

Everyone enjoyed sorting picture cards of different macros into the three pollution tolerance categories and then learning about the five feeding strategies these macros use.

The favorite activity of the day, however, was sorting and identifying the macros that the Stream Team’s certified monitors collected from the South Fork of the Catoctin Creek.

The group discovered a wide variety of macros including flatheaded and brush-legged mayflies, a winter stonefly, damselflies, netspinning caddisflies and black flies.

Participants learned about watershed pollution with the EnviroScape model.
Photo by Amie Ware