Last week the Chilkoot Indian Association hosted the University of Alaska Anchorage’s resident aquatic insect expert Dan Bogan, who led a Macroinvertebrate Biomonitoring Training for community practitioners in Haines. The training teaches participants how to identify and use aquatic invertebrates to gauge stream health.
With the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Aquatic Ecology Department, Bogan administers the Alaska Stream Team data collection program, a coordinated collaborative citizen-science effort to collect consistent and reliable biological data on the ecological health of Alaska’s streams. The Alaska Stream Team hosts an online database where volunteer stream monitors can enter, view, and/or share basic chemical and biological information collected using educational or volunteer-level Stream Team methods.
Participants in the recent Haines training will apply the data collection methods learned to forthcoming projects monitoring the ecological health of local streams. Thanks to Dan Bogan and Chilkoot Indian Association for this awesome training opportunity!
