By Jacob Preus

NEW HAVEN, MO- Christ the King’s biology students ran experiments on Boeuf Creek mid-September at Camp Trinity. 

Students collected the data for the Missouri Stream Team’s Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program. They will present the data in their group paper at the end of the school year.

After a devotion from one of the volunteers, the students split into groups and worked on four different labs: water chemistry, visual survey, stream discharge, and a macroinvertebrate survey. Several volunteers helped guide the labs.

“When I was eight months old, my family took our first vacation up to Lakewoods, Canada. [My brother] David was holding me, … and I was patting my hands on the water. And ever since then I’ve been interested in water conservation and maintaining clean streams,” volunteer Jonathan Finck said.

The goal of the water chemistry lab was to test the water quality in the stream. Students tested the clarity of the water, the temperature of the water, as well as the oxygen and nitrogen levels.

The stream discharge lab measured the flow rate of the streams. Students measured the width and depth within the stream and put stakes in the water to determine the distance a ping pong ball would travel. They floated ping pong balls down the stream, measuring the time it took to travel from one stake to the next.

Students also examined the environment around the stream in a visual survey. They looked at the size of rocks in the stream and the landscape. 

“It’s also important to know what the watershed of the stream is, if it’s forestry or agriculture, because that determines how much runoff you get from the surrounding area,” Jonathan Finck said when asked about the visual survey. 

In the macroinvertebrate study, students examined tiny creatures in the water that were sensitive to pollution. With a kicknet, they disturbed the dirt in the stream. They captured creatures and identified them. 

At the end of the day, students and helpers had a closing prayer, thanking God for what they were able to do. 

Thanks to Camp Trinity and the Missouri Stream Team’s Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program, the students learned valuable lessons about conserving God’s creation.