RiverRATS
Creating a New Generation of Stream Ecologists
RiverRATS stands for River Research and Appreciation Through Science. This program’s main goal is to engage students in their local waterways. We host lessons in streams and in the classroom that give students a chance to act as stream ecologists. Our hands-on inquiry based lessons focus on the physical characteristics, biological communities, and chemical makeup of local streams. Through this program RiverLink hopes to increase our communities understanding and appreciation of aquatic ecosystems, especially in younger generations. We believe that in order to foster stewardship of our local waterways we first have to promote and demonstrate what makes them so great and worthy of protection.
*Due to Covid-19 our educational offerings have changed. We are focusing more on virtual experiences including: pre-recorded videos, self led tours of local streams and trails, and Zoom guest speaking.*
How to set up a lesson
- Determine which focus topic(s) you’d like us to cover, how much time you have available, and whether you need virtual programming or would like to discuss an in-person experience.
- Contact us at education@riverlink.org or (828) 252-8474 x 112 and let us know these details.
- We’ll set up a meeting to discuss possible lessons, dates/times, and integration with your lesson plans/curriculum.
- We’ll provide you with some materials to pass out to students and send home to parents.
- On the day of a lesson, RiverLink will provide all supplies for a day of fun, science and exploration.
Focus Topics
Watersheds & Stream Anatomy
Virtual Options
We have recorded a couple videos using our stream table and stormwater model, which cover the concepts from these lessons. Our education staff is happy to join your students virtually to show these videos and host a Q&A session afterwards. If you’d like to use our videos independently you can find them in the links below.
Recommended age: All ages!
Location: Lessons can be hosted in the classroom or at a nearby stream.
Suggested time frame: 1-2 hours
Understanding water quality extends far beyond the banks of our streams and rivers. All of the surrounding land use has a huge impact on the formation of these ecosystems. These lessons help students understand the big picture of their watershed and specific features of waterways. We investigate how changes in the land can alter the course of a stream and we break down the various physical features of our rivers. Students will learn how to measure cross sections and velocity, predict stream channel alterations, and identify a multitude of different habitats. All of this can be explored in an actual stream or we can bring our stream table to investigate within the classroom.
Habitat & Biodiversity
Virtual Options
Education staff can join your virtual class with a digital microscope and preserved macroinvertebrate samples to show off some of physical adaptations of these creatures. We can also share a variety of videos, worksheets and other resources that cover this topic.
Recommended age: 5th grade and up.
Location: Lessons are best in a stream, but we can host the lessons in a classroom as well.
Suggested time frame: 1-2 hours
Biodiversity plays a huge role in helping us determine the quality of our waterways. These lessons teach students how to identify species and how they contribute to a healthy stream. Students will get in the creek and search for macroinvertebrates using nets, looking under rocks, and in leaf packs. Once they’ve collected a good sample we’ll discuss nearby habitat observations and how they support our findings. RiverLink will provide nets, sampling containers and waders for these lessons. In the near future we’ll also be able to host similar lessons looking at fish populations.
Water Chemistry & Human Impact
Recommended age: 7th grade and up.
Location: Lessons can be hosted in the classroom or at a nearby stream.
Suggested time frame: 1-2 hours
For those who really want to dig into the chemistry of their water, these lessons give students a great chance to act as citizen scientists. RiverLink will bring all the equipment required to test nitrates, phosphates, pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. Students will learn how each of these measurements affect water health and what factors could be contributing to them. We’ll work together to examine how human activity around the stream is impacting our findings. Students’ measurements will also help us monitor water quality in streams across the French Broad River Watershed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students can participate in a lesson
Each of our lessons can accommodate up to 30 students at a time. For the sake of our staff we prefer to limit lessons to 4 per day, meaning we can teach up to 120 students over the course of a day.
What do students need to bring for a lesson
Students should come prepared with clothes and shoes that can get wet and/or dirty, sunscreen, and water. If your students do not have access to good water shoes or clothes we do have Crocs and waders that we can bring on request.
Are students required to get in the water
We want our lessons to be safe and supportive for all who participate, so if a student doesn’t want to get in the water we won’t make them. However, many of our lessons require at least one student per group to be in the water. If a lot of your class does not want to be in the water we recommend looking at some of our classroom options.