We Love Durham NC

Water Testing

The boy and I headed to the Science Museum early Saturday morning for the Wetlands Program for Families.

It was still cool when we arrived, but quickly warmed as the sun came all the way up. Fall in North Carolina… wear layers.

We started by testing water from the museum wetlands for five factors: temperature, oxygen, pH, nitrate, and turbidity (cloudiness). It involved lots of measuring, shaking, and mixing with chemicals, using video instructions on iPods. The oxygen testing was the most complex, with several steps. The boy learned a lot about using glassware like test tubes and droppers.

After recording all this data on our record sheet, we did the second part of the data collection: finding animals in the water. (Animals have different tolerances for dirty water, so the types of animals found are a good indicator of water quality.) We scooped them out into a bucket and put some into a magnifier to see them up close. Using reference guides and help from the scientists, we identified them based on number of tails, shape of body, and similar traits. We found things like aquatic worms, diving beetles, and dragonfly larvae, even a tadpole this time of year.

Afterwards, we walked to the Insectarium to record the data on the computer and calculate the quality of the water. The data will be gathered over time by different groups and then compiled by the scientists at the museum.

There was so much fun learning crammed into the 2 and 1/2 hours. The museum continues to amaze with opportunities to learn about science.

The Wetlands program repeats on 10/19.

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