Turtle Research Group Teachers conducted turtle surveys at multiple sites along the Santa Cruz River to assess populations of native and non-native turtles, take biometric measurements of each individual turtle to see how healthy they are, and quantify habitat characteristics that may influence turtle distributions such as flow velocity and depth.
Dragonfly Research Group Teachers spent their days with the many colorful dragonflies and damselflies that can be found around the Santa Cruz River. Teachers identified species visually, used nets to see these insects up close, and measured habitat characteristics that help explain why there are so many species on the river.
Riparian Plant Research Group Teachers learned to identify the myriad wetland and riparian plants growing along and in the river that provide habitat and food for wildlife. Teachers learn how to quantify the differences in plant populations across sites with different levels of flow and different flow histories.
Wildlife Camera Research Group Teachers installed and maintained 10 wildlife cameras at 5 locations along the Santa Cruz to document the wide variety of small and large animals that rely on the riverbed for drinking water or their homes. They learned how to identify our diverse mammal fauna, and use image processing programs to turn wildlife photos into data.
