BARNSTABLE HIGH SCHOOL POND MONITORING
In the fall of 2017, BCWC began working with the Barnstable High School Environmental Club on a Winter Pond Monitoring program. The Winter Pond Monitoring program then transformed into BCWC hosting Barnstable High School students during the academic year through the high school's Senior Internship Program.
The purpose of the project is to expose high school students to hands-on field work using water sampling equipment. Three monitoring locations were chosen in Centerville that are close to the high school: Lake Wequaquet, Bearse Pond and Long Pond. Each of the sampling sites has a dock that is accessed through a private homeowner’s property.
At each monitoring site, the students record visual observations and physical conditions, look for macroinvertebrates, and collect water samples to test for nitrate/phosphate levels and the presence of cyanobacteria.
For visual observations and physical conditions, the students note water, weather, and wind conditions, take air and water temperatures with thermometers, use dissolved oxygen meters to measure the dissolved oxygen levels in the water, measure depth and turbidity using a Secchi disc, and record waterfowl sightings and vegetation growth in the sampling area.
Using dip nets and shovels, students gather bottom debris and sediment and sort through it looking for macroinvertebrates. A dichotomous key is used to help identify any organisms found. Commonly seen macroinvertebrates at these three freshwater sites include damselfly and dragonfly nymphs, crayfish and diving beetles.
Water samples are collected at each site. The students test for nitrate and phosphate using Hach test kits.
Over the 2022-2023 Academic year BCWC hosted 3 interns from Barnstable High School, Penelope Clifford, Lucille Komar, and Ryan Christensen. This year the interns conducted weekly sampling at Bearses Pond, Long Pond, and Wequaqet Lake looking at parameters like Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, Nitrate, and Phosphorus. Given the cyanobacteria blooms in many Barnstable ponds this past summer, year-round water quality data is more important than ever.
The interns also helped with many of BCWC’s other projects including streamflow monitoring, invasive algae monitoring, Herring monitoring, Oyster upweller maintenance and more. They are also working on their own independent projects.
Over the 2022-2023 Academic year BCWC hosted 3 interns from Barnstable High School, Penelope Clifford, Lucille Komar, and Ryan Christensen. This year the interns conducted weekly sampling at Bearses Pond, Long Pond, and Wequaqet Lake looking at parameters like Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, Nitrate, and Phosphorus. Given the cyanobacteria blooms in many Barnstable ponds this past summer, year-round water quality data is more important than ever.
The interns also helped with many of BCWC’s other projects including streamflow monitoring, invasive algae monitoring, Herring monitoring, Oyster upweller maintenance and more. They are also working on their own independent projects.
BHS Environmental Science and Technology Program
Starting in the spring and fall of 2023 BCWC will be hosting Barnstable High School in the Environmental Science and Technology program on educational boat tours in the Three Bays Estuary. Students will learn about some of the problems our estuaries on the Cape face and what BCWC does to monitor them and help solve the problems. The students will gain experience taking water quality data while learning about the natural history of the area. This is a great way to expose them to some of our environment’s underlying problems as well as help them decide what type of environmental career they would like to pursue.