The collected samples are placed in jars for transport back to the lab. A fter returning to the lab the real work, which could take the rest of the year, begins. Each sample is split into two equal portions. One half is sorted, counted and placed in vials for permanent reference - the other half is kept as a backup. For the last four years, splitting the sample has become a special skill for Marna Goddard.
Quality control is maintained when the same person does all the splitting.
The work of sorting, identification and counting of the aquatic macro invertebrates is done by groups of volunteers working with microscopes under the tutelage of Beaty Broughton over the next six to ten months. The insect larvae and other aquatic life are separated from the stream debris, sorted to family, counted, recorded and fed into a database for analysis. T he biodiversity and total numbers are indicators of the health of the stream. Some species are known to be more sensitive to environmental insult than others and it is this biodiversity that we want to maintain. The final results will indicate the trends in water quality going back to 1991, when the first samples were taken.