Macroinvertebrates, or the invertebrates we can see, are sentinels of clean water monitored by professional biologists. They can also be a gateway drug for budding scientists young and young at heart. This episode describes inexpensive equipment for catch-and-release studies of macroinvertebrates in ponds and streams.

This video takes you through the same approaches.

Episode art is clipped from an image uploaded to Wikimedia commons by John Rostron.

Driving directions from Danville if you'd like to join us on Saturday 6/29/24 9:00AM:

At the Route 2 light in Danville, turn south onto Peacham Road. Take an immediate left (at the Danville Post Office) onto Brainerd Street. Stay on Brainerd Street for .8 miles, where you will keep right onto Greenbanks Hollow Road (dirt road). Stay on Greenbanks Hollow Road for 1.9 miles. Go through the covered bridge, and continue south on Thaddeus Stevens Road for one mile.

Parking instructions:

The parking location is on the side of Thaddeus Steven Road at the town line between Peacham and Danville which is one mile south of the Greenbanks Hollow covered bridge in the vicinity of 3027 Thaddeus Stevens Road.

See you at 9am on Saturday.

Imagine a worm that enters the body of a different species, and then takes over its brain, altering its behavior to the benefit of the work and to the detriment of the host. Such is the story of the horsehair worm.

Following this episode I'll announce 2 events. The first is on Wednesday June 19 at 7:00 PM in Beardsley Zoo but also live on Zoom: registration is required: https://connecticutsbeardsleyzoo-bloom.kindful.com/e/june-evening-lecture-2024. I'll be co presenting with Aimee Turcotte (St. Michael's College class of 23). The second event will be a book talk & signing co-hosted by Northern Woodlands at Norwich Bookstore: https://www.norwichbookstore.com/events/20240620

Episode art for this episode is by Eduard Solà Vázquez and shared on Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nematomorpha_Somiedo_(white_background).jpg

In warmer weather, have you ever encountered a cloud of flies buzzing up and down near a water body? Chances are that you have encountered a swarm of midges. This episode gets into the biology of these amazingly diverse little insects. I am also pleased to announce my first book event at Phoenix Books in Burlington Vermont at 7:00PM on Thursday June 6th 2024. Finally, I reveal some secrets of the podcast recording process in my back yard shed.

The episode art is a photograph of a male adult midge with its characteristic feathery antennae. The females have simpler antennae but are none the less incredible products of fine-tuned evolution. The art comes from Wikimedia user WanderingMogwai and is shared under

• CC-BY-SA-4.0

Original image is here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Non-Biting_Midge_chironomus_spp..jpg