Brookvale Public School

SPac

Rare Green and Golden Bell Frog which we found.

By Mimi

On Thursday the 18th of October, Year 5 of class 5/6T from Brookvale Public School, went to Clear view Place in Brookvale, where there is a creek near our school. Our guide was Chris, he was from Streamwatch. We arrived in Chris's car and a few of our teachers cars. Chris taught us how to catch bugs with the nets. After showing us some bugs set in glass, we were spilt into two groups the boys went in one group, and the girls went in the other. The boys went to one part of the creek, but the girls walked farther into the bush and went to the other banks of the creek.

Michelle and I were with the girl's group, Tara and Eliza found a frog. When we showed Chris he examined it carefully. Chris told us that we had found a Green and Golden Bell Frog. He also told us that a frog, the same specie as this, was very rare. Tara and Eliza had to put it back in the creek, because we were not supposed to handle frogs.

The boys changed places with the girls so each group could have a turn at catching bugs at different parts of the creek. After we finished catching bugs, we went back to the clearing, and sat down on the picnic seat. Chris put out some white trays, ice cube trays and plastic spoons. He poured in the white trays water and bugs that we caught from the creek. We were supposed to put some water and one bug into each of the holes in the ice cube tray.

When we were looking at the bugs, some of the others tested out the water. After we filled all of the holes, Chris gave us a sheet which we had to complete. There were four people using one tray, and one person from each group was to fill the form out while the others told that person what kind of bugs we caught.

Chris also told us the result for the water testing. The water pollution test result was fair, so it was still good.

I enjoyed going to Streamwatch, and it also helped us learn that our environment was very important. It was also very interesting when we looked at the bugs. I enjoyed participating in Streamwatch, and I hope our school will participate in it permanently.

By Allen

On the Thursday 18th of October, Year 5 went to Streamwatch to catch some bugs and test the water. At 9:15am, Year 5 left for Streamwatch, we had to bring our morning tea. We went to
Clear view Place in Brookvale to start our Streamwatch. We helped Chris unpack our nets, trays and all the other equipment that we needed. He talked and show us how we were going catch bugs
and see if the water was clean.

We had to put ourselves into groups of 2 so we wouldn't fall in the water. The boys and girls went into different place to catch different kinds of bugs. In a while the boys and the girls change places to catch more different bugs. Tara and Eliza found a rare frog, the Golden Bell Frog. When we finished catching bugs, we went back to the table and to see how many bugs we caught and see how clean the water was.

When we were going to see how many bugs we caught we were given spoons so we'll be able to catch to the bugs that we caught and put it in our small tray but first we had put a tiny bit of water so the bugs wouldn't die.

While we were looking in our big trays Chris took 2 boys and 2 girls to test the water temperature and how clean the water was. Our water results were great and the day was great, I had a good time.

Walking back with bugs.

On Thursday the 18th of October, Year 5 from 5/6T of Brookvale Public School, went to Clear view Place, which is a creek in Brookvale. Chris who was a guide from Streamwatch, taught us how to catch water bugs with the nets that he had provided. After Chris had taught us how to catch water bugs, the boys and the girls separated, then we went to different places, so that we could start catching water bugs.

In the group that I was in, the girls group, Tara and Eliza discovered a very rare frog, the Green and Golden Bell Frog. It was a small, green frog and Eliza found it, while Tara caught it and put it in the bucket that Chris had provided for us.

Not long after we had found the frog, it was time to move to another spot. We showed Chris the frog and it was then that he told us that is was a very rare frog and that it was a Green and Golden Bell Frog. He also told us that we were not supposed to touch it because we could have diseases that it might get and he told us to put it back where we had found it.

We then went to the area that the boys were working and we set to work and tried to catch water bugs. Afterwards we went back to the area where we were in. We sat down and waited for
the boys to come. When the boys had come back, we all had our recess and talked to each other, until it was time to see what sort of bugs we had caught.

After we had finished our recess, Chris gave us four white trays, one for four people, and one ice cube tray for two people, then he put water and leaves in the white tray and gave us each a little white spoon to catch the bugs in, then we had to fill the ice cube tray with water. When we had filled the ice cube tray with water, we had to search for bugs through the water and leaves. Then when we had found some bugs, we had to put them in the ice cube tray and then we had to identify them. using the booklet that Chris had given us.

While we were searching for bugs, some people went to check the water pollution and other things like that. The results were very pleasing, the water was fair, which means that the water is very good, the water pollution index was 3.7, which is very good also.

I enjoyed Streamwatch thoroughly and I hope that we go there again sometime soon because I really enjoyed catching and searching for bugs. I had a really fun time there and I enjoyed learning new things about our environment.