Observational Study: Volunteer Training (Trout Unlimited)

Lauren Allen, LMDC

On Saturday, November 12 we observed an advanced macroinvertebrate identification training workshop presented by our partner, Trout Unlimited. The training was very in-depth in its explanation of both the collection procedures and protocols, as well as the level of information and detail provided for learning how to identify macroinvertebrates to the order level, and to quite a few different families of Trichoptera (caddisflies), Megaloptera (hellgramites), and Diptera (flies).

Trout Unlimited provides equipment to its chapters that wish to take on macroinvertebrate sampling in the efforts to preserve and protect trout streams, generally, and in regions where specific threats have been introduced, such as long wall mining and unconventional shale gas development, both of which exist in Western PA. There were 18 volunteers from four different Trout Unlimited chapters at this training, all of whom had some experience with macroinvertebrates previously, most of them because they have gotten to know the animals that they want to mimic with their flies. Trout fisherman and anglers in general are an important group of citizen scientists because of their deep passion for protecting the environment that they enjoy spending time in.