Download Up a Creek Write Up 2015

Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
By:
Amy Olsen & Mike Dempsey (Authorship was almost evenly split)
Date:
May 27th, 2015
Location:
Lair o’ the Bear
Ages:
Theme:
All ages
Clean creeks sustain bountiful and diverse life.
Goals:
During this program participants will discover the richness of Bear Creek.
Objectives: After attending this program, participants will:
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Understand why healthy creeks sustain a wide variety of amphibians, birds,
and insects.
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Appreciate the diversity and importance of riparian areas.
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Name two ways they can protect water resources.
Materials Needed:
Campfire Supplies –
Kingfisher Activity –
o 3 step stools
o 9 small tupperware containers
o Various colored marbles
o Food coloring or soil to “dirty up” water
o Kingfisher bibs
Optional Trout Activityo Trout puppet
o Individual foam fish for kids
Aquatic Insects –
o “Creek Community” group program supplies (bins, nets, bubblers, magnifying glasses)
o Hip waders
Amphibians with Tiger Salamander
o Salamander with equipment
o Amphibian lifecycle photos/props
o Pictures of amphibians
PROGRAM OUTLINE:
Welcome/Introduction at parking lot kiosk: (Mike & Amy)
Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
You are drinking water now that once touched the lips of the dinosaurs. Scientists say the water
on earth is, was, and will be all the water ever to exist. We got what we got. Snow melt flows
into a river then freezes again in the winter. Volcanoes let off steam that later becomes rain.
Water constantly gets recycled over and over again. That’s why it is called the water cycle.
Round and round. What comes around goes around. That’s why it is so important to keep it clean.
It’s all we are going to have.
Ask participants what kinds of wildlife may live here.
Bear Creek is an important resource for us and for the wildlife.
Tonight we are going to explore some of the wildlife that needs the watery world of Bear Creek
and how we can all help to protect its cleanliness.
Hike from kiosk to kingfisher cut-bank area.
Belted Kingfisher at cut-bank nest area:
Native American Legend (Amy)
Natural History (Amy)
Sound Recording of Kingfisher (Amy) We also had fun imitating the call!
Kingfisher “Fishing” Activity (Mike)
Story (Amy):
Hello there!
I’m going to tell you part of a Native American tale that comes from the Jicarilla Apache people,
from the American southwest, and segue into some cool kingfisher natural history. (Maybe jump
right into story then credit tribe next time so it’s a smoother, more artistic transition.)
As Fox went on his way he met Kingfisher, Kêt-la’-i-le-ti, whom he accompanied to his home.
Kingfisher said that he had no food for his visitor so he would go catch some fish for Fox.
From his perch on a branch above the river, he spotted his fish and dove, headfirst. He broke
through six inches of ice on the river and caught two fish, which he cooked and set before his
guest.
Fox was pleased with his entertainment and invited Kingfisher to return the call. In due time the
Kingfisher came to the home of the Fox, who said, “I have no food to offer you;” then he went
down to the river, thinking to secure some fish in the same matter the Kingfisher had done. Fox
leaped from the high bank, but instead of breaking through the ice, he conked his head so hard
he saw stars.
Kingfisher went to him, caught him by the tail, and swung him to the right four times, ridding him
of his pain. Kingfisher caught some fish and they ate together.
Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
“I am a medicine man,” Kingfisher said,” that is why I can do these things. You must never try to
catch fish in that manner again.”
Fox thanked Kingfisher and went on his way to meet more animals in the west, including prairie
dogs, buffalo, and elk. Each time, he learned what made each animal’s talent and contribution to
the ecosystem unique.
“Kingfishers are an amazing animal well adapted to their lifestyle and ecosystem. They’re found on
all continents, except Antarctica. They are indeed fishermen, catching their meals with
spectacular dives from above. They perch on a branch over the river and watch for fish, then dive
headfirst into the water to snatch fish and crayfish. They must consume their body weight in
fish each day to survive.
They also nest along the banks, inside tunnels that they have dug themselves in the soft mud.
They’ll raise 2-3 broods in that tunnel, kicking each one out quickly in order to establish their own
territories and broods.
Their call is a dry, harsh rattle.”
(Look for nests in bank as we walk. Listen for calls. Imitate calls)
(Pass around photos of birds, diving birds, and nests. Pass, carefully, around the Belted Kingfisher
mount.)
Anticipated Questions (prompt if necessary):
Do they really break through ice?
No. That story is an exaggeration. Just like your fishing story; your catch gets bigger and bigger.
Kingfishers need open water all year long in order to fish. Belted Kingfishers migrate from
southern Mexico all the way to northern Canada.
Wouldn’t the Fox eat the Kingfisher?
In real-life, yes. Kingfishers have several natural predators including wild canines, snakes,
raptors, raccoons, and wild cats.
Natural History: (from www.allaboutbirds.org)
Size & Shape:
 Belted Kingfishers are stocky, large-headed birds with a shaggy crest on the top and back
of the head and a straight, thick, pointed bill. Their legs are short and their tails are
medium length and square-tipped.
Color Pattern:
 Kingfishers are powder blue above with fine, white spotting on the wings and tail. The
under-parts are white with a broad, blue breast band. Females also have a broad rusty
band on their bellies. Juveniles show irregular rusty spotting in the breast band.
Behavior:
Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
Belted Kingfishers spend much of their time perched alone along the edges of streams,
lakes, and estuaries, searching for small fish. They hunt either by plunging directly from a
perch, or by hovering over the water, bill downward, before diving after a fish they’ve
spotted.
Habitat:
 Kingfishers live near streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and estuaries. They nest in burrows
that they dig into soft earthen banks, usually adjacent to or directly over water.
Kingfishers spend winters in areas where the water doesn’t freeze so that they have
continual access to their aquatic foods.
Nesting:
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The male and the female take turns digging the burrow, with males spending about twice as
much time digging as females. They usually take 3–7 days to finish it, but may sometimes
take up to 3 weeks. The completed burrow extends 3–6 feet into the bank, sloping upward
so that rainwater won’t collect inside, and ends in an unlined chamber 8–12 inches in
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diameter and 6–7 inches high.
Belted Kingfishers excavate burrows in earthen banks, usually avoiding ones with
vegetation (especially trees, whose roots get in the way of digging).
A pair may select a nest site during courtship, usually high in the bank where floodwaters
are unlikely to reach. The male probes the bank with his bill, flying back and forth to the
female, who calls continuously from a nearby perch.
Diet:
 Belted Kingfishers live mostly on a diet of fish including sticklebacks, mummichogs, trout,
and stonerollers. They also eat crayfish and may eat other crustaceans, mollusks, insects,
amphibians, reptiles, young birds, small mammals, and even berries.
Additional Info:
 The Belted Kingfisher is one of the few bird species in which the female is more brightly
colored than the male. Among the nearly 100 species of kingfishers, the sexes often look
alike. In some species the male is more colorful, and in others the female is.
 Predators of kingfishers include hawks, mammals, and snakes.
 Belted Kingfishers are common and widespread, but from 1966–2011 their populations
declined by an estimated 1.4 percent per year according to the North American Breeding
Bird Survey, resulting in a cumulative decline of 46 percent.
 People used to shoot and trap kingfishers, especially near fish hatcheries and along trout
streams, to prevent them from killing fish. But hunting apparently did no long-term harm
to the population, and has since been outlawed through migratory bird laws.
 Belted Kingfishers seem to be relatively unaffected by environmental contaminants,
possibly because their small prey accumulates only low levels of toxins.
 They are sensitive to disturbance, and may abandon territories if people begin frequenting
the area.
Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
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A kingfisher looks for prey from a perch that overhangs water, such as a bare branch,
telephone wire, or pier piling. When it spots a fish or crayfish near the surface, it takes
flight, dives with closed eyes, and grabs the prey in its bill with a pincer motion. Returning
with its prize, it pounds the prey against the perch before swallowing it head first. It may
also hover above the water instead of searching from a perch.
They hunt in unclouded water that allows them to see prey below the surface, with
perches nearby but minimal vegetation obstructing the water.
Belted Kingfishers breed throughout most of North America at elevations up to 9,000
feet. They winter in similar habitats, as well as in mangroves, swamps, and brackish lagoons
in the Central American parts of their wintering range.
Do Not Give All Of This Info To The Visitors! It’s Too Much
Kingfisher “Fishing” Activity (Mike)
Set-up three bowls per person. Fill bowls with creek water. Have participants close their eyes
while a semi-clear marble “fish” is placed in one of the bowls. Have participants “compete” to see
who finds their “fish” first. Similar to “shell” game but must use vision to locate.
Afterwards put soil in the Tupperware containers to “dirty up” each contestant’s water.
Can they hunt now?
Important to keep the stream clean and clear.
Hike along Bear Creek towards Education Shelter. Play Riparian Bingo along the way. Riparian
Bingo was created by Mike and is found in the same folder as this write-up.
Trout (Optional) (Caitlyn?) We did not do this; there was no time!
Introduce the Trout on the hike by either using a puppet or a photo. Share why it needs the
watery world of Bear Creek. Trout eat aquatic insects in the creek and have many things on their
body to survive in the water. Have visitors take a deep breath. What do they breathe with?
Lungs. Trout breathe with gills. Show gills on the prop or photo. Ask the younger visitors how
trout swim in the water. Show fins on the puppet. Trout and other fish often hide in slow moving
water in creeks so they can rest.
Trout of Colorado:
 Cutthroat is the only native trout of Colorado. The greenback cutthroat trout subspecies
named official state fish of Colorado in 1994
 Rainbow – Native to U.S. but introduced to CO in 1880’s
 Brook – They were introduced to Colorado in 1872, and are native to Canada and the
Eastern U.S.
Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
Lake – largest trout in CO, introduced in 1890. They can live up to 20 years. They are
native to Canada, Alaska and the Great Lakes. They prefer deeper water, but will feed in
shallower waters during spring and fall.
 Brown trout are not native to North America. They were introduced in the second half of
the 19th Century from Germany and the UK.
Habitat requirements:
 Trout are especially vulnerable to climate change and global warming because they are
dependent on an abundance of clear, cold water.
 Trout eggs also need a constant supply of cold, clean and well oxygenated water.
 In rivers, trout are territorial and will often chase away other trout from their feeding
areas. In lakes, where there is no "preferred area" to defend, trout are less aggressive.
 Heavy sediment loads in spawning gravels of streams have been shown to kill all deposited
trout eggs.
Life history:
 Trout can live for about seven years.
 At two years old, trout are ready to reproduce. Their colors change by getting brighter,
and they find mates. Some species mate in the fall, and other species mate in the spring. A
female trout lays her eggs which are fertilized by a male in a redd, or nest, built in the
gravels of a freshwater lake or stream.
 Genetically different trout are capable of spawning together and producing viable
offspring but many have remained distinct for thousands of years. This happens because
they have different life strategies e.g. their choice of spawning locations and timing or
adaptations to exploit different niches within the food chain.
 Trout have teeth on the roof of the mouth, called vomerine teeth.
 Trout scales have growth rings, as new hard tissue is added around the edges as they
grow. They can be read just like growth rings in a tree.
 There is strong evidence that trout can detect polarization of light, which helps them
locate prey which is otherwise difficult lacking stereoscopic vision (eyes either side of the
head).
 Trout don’t have scales for the first month of their life.
 The majority of trout die before their first birthday. Mortality rates in their first year
of life are typically 95% or greater, falling to around 40 - 60% in subsequent years.
 Trout, like most other fish, cannot regulate their body temperature – they have the same
temperature as the water in which they swim. The temperature tolerance levels of trout
range between 25°C to about 20°C.
 A Trout can look and focus out of both corners of each eye simultaneously meaning that it
can see in almost every direction at once.
 Trout can rapidly change color, getting darker when being aggressive, lighter
when being submissive or in response to changing background color.
Food habits:
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Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
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Baby trout hatch before they’re ready to swim. These tiny trout, called alevins, live on the
yolk from their egg sacs.
Young trout, called fry, use up the food in their egg sacs and swim around in the lake or
stream where they were born. They now have to find their own food – mostly tiny
organisms. Over the next few years, fry grow up, eating mostly insects and worms.
Optional Activity: Hand out a foam fish to each child. Go through different scenarios for the
children to act out with their fish. Some possibilities are: swimming through rapids, resting
in an eddy, hiding under a rock from a kingfisher, rising to the surface to gobble an aquatic
insect.
We did not do this; there was no time.
Again hike along Bear Creek towards Education Shelter
Aquatic Insects and Salamander at Education Shelter: (Amy & Mike)
Visitor viewing of insects in aerated water tubs
Aquatic Insects:
Caddisflies, mayfly, and stonefly larvae all need clean water to live. They are indicator species.
They are so sensitive to water pollution that scientists have developed a method of measuring the
health of streams by looking for nymphs of these three insects.
Mayflies
 More than 100 different kinds of mayflies live in Colorado.
 Live in streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes
 Mayflies start their life in water but eventually grow wings.
 Winged adults only live for a few hours, long enough to only mate and lay eggs.
 Eggs to larvae(nymphs)
 Mayflies molt more times than any other underwater insect. More than 40 times!
 Mayflies will molt one more time with wings; no other insect has a juvenile stage with
wings.
 Juveniles rise to the surface, molt and may use their old shell as an island-like launch pad,
others may crawl to shore to molt and fly.
 Adults do not eat and don’t even have a mouth! Only job is to find a mate and lay eggs in
the water.
 Mating “dance flight” in swarms
Stoneflies
 90 different kinds of stoneflies live in Colorado.
 Larvae found only in running water. Good locations: high mountain streams with rocks
Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
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Adult stoneflies survive a week to a month. Hide until dark, then will fly
Mating: females do not watch for a mating dance flight, instead they wait to sense the
males drumming caused by their tapping of the end of their bodies on leaves or twigs.
Each species has its own beat. The female drums back, matching the male’s beat. They
move towards each other, pause to drum again, continues until they find each other.
Caddisflies
 200 kinds of Caddisflies live in Colorado.
 Caddisfly eggs hatch into larvae that look like caterpillars.
 Larvae make tube-shaped shelters out of silk, rocks, twigs, and sand.
 After several molts, nymphs spin a cocoon (pupa).
 Develop into adults within a couple of weeks; break out of their cocoon in the water and
float up to fly.
 Live for a month and fly mostly at night.
 Mating: Males swarm in a pattern that is only noticeable if you are female caddisfly.
Nymphs
 Survive by eating bits of plants in water or on rocks. A few types eat tiny animals.
 Nymph Predators: salamanders, frogs, trout, other insects, birds i.e. ducks, dippers can
grab caddisflies by their heads and shake them out of their tubes.
 Birds and bats also eat the flying adults.
Amphibians:
 Amy brings salamander from home
 Have a table set up with travel tank, photos of other amphibians, amphibian and
salamander life cycle diagram.
 Brief talk about how amphibians are very susceptible to pollution because they absorb
oxygen through their skin; segue into why they can’t touch Snicklefritz (salamander).
 Allow close-up viewing and questions
Wrap-up & Conclusion: (Amy & Mike)
Conservation Message:
 Poll group; what are some things that you can do to keep water resources clean?
 Most easy, simple, and most action we all can do is don’t litter.
 Wash your cars at a commercial car wash instead of driveway. Prevents vehicle fluids
from entering storm drains.
 Pass out natural cleaning supplies recipe cards
Optional activities if time allows:
Families do water testing (Mike) No time
Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
S’mores!
Additional Info:
From Colorado Parks and Wildlife:
Together, freshwater ecosystems, riparian lands, and wetlands combined make 1-3% of
the state’s land but support most of Colorado’s plant and animal species. Species
diversity in riparian areas is 2-3 times higher than in surrounding ecosystems.
Why is biodiversity important? Biodiversity equals health!
Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms.
Healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters like
flooding. Just like when you are healthy you are able to recover quicker/better from
sickness.
Damselflies
 look a lot like small dragonflies
 four wings folded over its back - only damselflies can fold their wings like that
 much smaller, narrower bodies, finer features than the dragonflies
 seen more often.
 nymph has a large head with bulbous eyes on a very thin, stick-like body; abdomen has three
feathery tails, which are actually gills.
 Find nymphs in still, shallow water in ponds and marshes and at the edges of lakes.; some are
found in deeper water, or running water
 Mature nymphs take flight; stay close to water
 166 species of damselfly found in North America
Lifecycle:
 Damselflies complete a life cycle every one or two years.
 Adults mate over shallow water, sometimes while flying, sometimes clinging to weeds on or
near the shore.
 female lays her eggs just under the water on vegetation
 Damselflies do not go through larval and pupal stages of life.
 begin as a small, predacious nymph that lives in the water, growing through several molts.
 nymph crawls onto some shoreline vegetation and molts one last time, turning into an adult
 Nymph is more important to fish than the adult,
 Some damselfly nymphs do not mature in time for the winter, and so they migrate to deeper
water and hibernate. In the spring, they migrate back to the shallows. A great many of them
are eaten during these migrations.
Dragonflies:
 Can be 2 – 3 cm up to 10 cm in length
Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
four very large transparent wings and a long, tubular body
often colorful
loud and deep buzzing sound when flying
cannot fold their wings over their backs
nymphs are shaped like a small cigar with bulging eyes
pronounced legs
nymph- 3- 4 cm before hatching into an adult.
Very important food for fish; they are also very predacious
live in very clean, well-oxygenated water.
stick to shore or around shoal drop-offs for good hunting.
Found worldwide; 98 species in North America
Lifecycle:
 mate in flight; often seen flying in tandem.
 Female lays eggs in vegetation, over open water, lake bottom.
 Dragonflies have no pupal or larval stages.
 Hatch from eggs as nymphs which are just a small version of mature nymphs.
 Molt several times, getting larger each time; crawl onto shore, & hatch into adults.
 Nymphs migrate to deeper water in the winter, returning to shallow water in the spring.
 COOL FACT: The dragonfly life cycle may be complete in a year or two, but can take as long
as four years, making dragonflies one of the longest-living species of insect, as well as the
largest.
Mayfly:
 Nymphs usually have three long tails or cerci (sir-key).
 Some species have leaf-like side gills along their abdomen.
 Single claw on each leg, short antennae and sometimes, wing pads.
 Size: 15 mm or less.
 Live under stones in fast-flowing water or among plants in slow streams; small burrows at the
bottom of the stream. Flat species cling to the bottom of rocks in fast-flowing streams;
mostly found in cool, more permanent water bodies like streams and lakes.
 Are herbivores; eat only plant matter, or detritivores (det-try-tee-vorz), feeding on decaying
material.
 Generally feed on top of stones and retreat underneath to escape predators.
 Some species are collectors, filter-feeding on material floating in the water
 Others are scrapers, actively scraping plant material from rocks.
 Some adults are predatory, while some don't eat at all
 Very sensitive to low levels of oxygen in water; prefer cool water as it has more dissolved
oxygen in it; sensitive to chemical pollution
 Lifecycle: three weeks to two years to become adults.
 Nymphs of many species vibrate their gills to increase the amount of water moving over them
(this is the equivalent of panting). Their gills may also be used as swimming paddles.
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Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
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Adult Mayflies have male and female sexes, but in some species the females can lay
unfertilized eggs (without male interaction) that hatch into more females. This is called
parthenogenesis (path-en-oh-gen-e-siss).
Caddisfly:
 An adult Caddisfly is a water moth. The adult looks much like a moth, but the wings are
smoother and sometimes partly see-through.
 Caddisfly larva look like a grub (a short, fat, creamy white worm-like creature) with a dark
head, and are mostly hidden in protective casings on the lake bottom.
 Casing is made of small rocks, tiny twigs and bits of leaves and other bottom debris.
 Crawl slowly around, hauling their casing with them.
 Caddisfly pupa look much like the adult, just with underdeveloped wings. Sometimes they are a
very bright green color.
 Very important food for trout
 most common in shallow, cool and well-oxygenated lakes
Lifecycle:
 Hatch after all the other major aquatic insects; first to disappear in the fall.
 Mate on the lakeshore; female runs over the lake surface dropping bright green eggs
 eggs sink & hatch into larva
 larva build tiny, cone-shaped casings; start growing, rebuilding casing about five times
 seal case & pupate; pupa breaks casing; swims to surface and hatches as adult; usually late
May;
 During caddis hatch fish must be aggressive to catch the adults before they fly away
 Adults live up to two months; cycle repeats itself once or twice per year.
 COOL FACT: On lake bottoms, the Caddisfly larva can easily stay safe in its protective casing;
on stream and riverbeds, they may be knocked free by the current.
Stoneflies:
 nymph has long antennae, flat body, widely separated legs
 segments covered by a large “bony” plate
 2 antennae-like tails called cerci. These multi-part tail pieces actually work a lot like antennae
– they help the insect sense what is around it.
 Adults have long antennae and long veined front wings, often dark grey
 up to 4 cm in length; back wings shorter than front wings
 Stonefly nymphs usually live beneath stones in fast-moving, clean water. Adults found near
streams, rivers from which they have emerged
 Not active fliers; usually remain near the ground; feed on algae or lichens.
 Many adult stoneflies do not have mouth parts that work, so they cannot eat and they live only
a short time.
 most common in cool, temperate climates; > 2000 species worldwide
Up a Creek Campfire
Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve
910 Colorow Rd., Golden, CO 80401
720-497-7600 • lmnc.jeffco.us
Lifecycle:
 Eggs are laid in the water or in cracks near the waters edge.; sink and disperse; some coated
with sticky slime that adheres to rocks
 larvae hatch in early spring; nymphs feed on algae and rotting vegetation
 will molt more than a dozen time before fully mature; one to two
 Adults emerge near the edge of the stream, sometimes when the ice has just melted. Most
appear to emerge at night, then fly
 Some adults feed; others don’t; non-feeding species emerge with fully formed eggs, mate
quickly, lay their eggs and die in a few days. Some females of the feeding species live for 4 to
5 weeks.
 To attract mates, male stoneflies drum (beat their abdomen on whatever they are standing
on) to attract females, and females drum in reply. Females only mate once, lay their eggs and
die shortly afterwards.
Leeches:
 closely related to the earthworm; over 650 species of leeches around the world
 Fat, flattened worm with a tapering tail, ranging in color from dark brown to black.
 usually a few centimeters long; can get up to 15 centimeters when stretched out
 Fish will eat smaller ones;
 When swimming, they undulate up and down
 prefer shallow, dark water with lots of organic cover, like lily pads, which provide both food
and shelter;
 650 species worldwide
Lifecycle:
 Leeches do not breed, because there are no female and male leeches.
 Leeches are hermaphroditic: both male and female characteristics and can produce offspring
without mating
 single leech produces its own egg mass; attaches it to an object under water surface
 Mostly scavengers; eat the remains of dead insects and animals. ; will hunt insect larvae, snails
and scuds.