Slide 1: Breathing Life into the Living South River Labs • In spring, 2007, a new fish exhibit and labs were created at Grand Caverns for 6th Grade Meaningful Watershed Experiences, and the general public. Over 500 students added more life! • With thanks to the VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation District, South River Science Team, DuPont, Inc., Upper Valley Regional Park Authority, Springdale Water Gardens, Virginia Naturally, Emporer Aquatics, the Izaak Walton League of America, and many Earth Team Volunteers.
Slide 2: Living Cave/Living South River
Slide 3: What used to be a gift shop…
Slide 4: And some storage rooms…
Slide 6: …got a makeover in 2007.
Slide 7: Trading Spaces!
Slide 8: Ann adds some sunshine.
Slide 9: Otis and Gerry recycle free building materials…
Slide 10: And the fish tanks arrive, with plexiglas viewing windows.
Slide 11: This ought to hold em!
Slide 12: Now for some plumbing.
Slide 13: Lots of plumbing!
Slide 14: Back to the drawing board, Jason and Matt.
Slide 15: Certified – no leaks!
Slide 16: No matter what finish we figure out, we’ll need primer.
Slide 17: And please cover up some of this bright yellow!
Slide 18: Thank you Karen – we’ll walk right in!
Slide 19: Authentically chewed…
Slide 20: But not much tooth damage.
Slide 21: Welcome fish, and humans too.
Slide 22: A bigger-than-life size riffle.
Slide 23: And Rich’s fabulous circulating waterfall for invertebrates… personally delivered.
Slide 24: If she can do it, it ought to work for 6th graders!
Slide 25: Hmm.
Slide 26: Ahhh-ooooo. (Animal mounts on loan from VDGIF)
Slide 27: Hmmmmmmmm.
Slide 28: Stephanie is inspired.
Slide 29: New South River Friends.
Slide 30: Add some tadpoles & newts
Slide 31: And here come the students!
Slide 32: First, a tour of the fabulous Grand Caverns!
Slide 33: Fish School is in session.
Slide 34: With a tackle box, “My Space”, and “Catch Me If You Can” test for each species.
Slide 35: And lots of “fast fish food” to identify and study next door.
Slide 38: And upstairs, in Maps & Models, students cook up some non-point source pollution.
Slide 39: Which is even more complex underground.
Slide 40: Do-it-yourself sculpture.
Slide 41: Or, work with a friend.
Slide 42: Outdoors, Betty hosts the Water Chemistry station.
Slide 43: We’re ready!
Slide 45: And this is what happy fish need.
Slide 46: Getting ready to dig at the Soils Station
Slide 47: Yum! Soil Parfait!
Slide 48: • Water, hikers, and ideas all percolate on the Percolation Hike. (How fast depends on whether you’re silt, sand or clay, and how many binoculars you can carry!)
Slide 49: A little lost history percolates…
Slide 50: With some current mercury research on birds.
Slide 51: And leads us to the Alternative Energy Station…The past was solar powered.
Slide 52: And so is the future!
Slide 53: OK, sun with some human backup!
Slide 54: Charmaine is ready for next year!
Slide 55: And so are the station volunteers, including these Earth Team water monitors from Trout Unlimited.
Slide 56: In the meantime, stop by!
Slide 57: Living Cave/Living South River We were motivated to build The Living South River by ongoing fish kills and water quality research… and because we understand that everything is sculpted and connected by Water. SG