On Saturday, April 19th, WaterWays Assistant Director Brooke Fleeman and TVA Watershed Representative Andrew Lyles conducted their fifth Tennessee Naturalist class at Audubon Acres. The Tennessee Naturalist Certification Program guides participants through various natural history and ecological topics, including geology, mammals, astronomy, and botany.Brooke and Andrew alternated in presenting the course’s “Living Waters” chapter, which focuses on watersheds, riparian and stream morphology, and aquatic biodiversity. The class begins with a lecture and slideshow, followed by a field portion where participants are assisted in catching macroinvertebrates and fish from South Chickamauga Creek on the Audubon Acres campus.
In addition to learning best practices for catching, participants helped identify creatures such as mayfly larvae, hellgrammites, caddis flies, and several species of darter fish. These animals serve as indicators of aquatic health. While chemical testing can help detect pollutants, an Index of Biotic Integrity survey provides a more comprehensive understanding of a stream’s long-term aquatic health. Our identified specimens indicated that the water quality of South Chickamauga Creek is fair to good, with notable sedimentation issues.
This class is always a delightful experience, and we eagerly anticipate it every year! We can’t wait for the next cohort of nature-loving adults.
For more information, visit Audubon’s website.
https://www.chattanoogaaudubon.org/tn-naturalist-program.html
