RIVER RATTLERS

SMHS Aquatic Science students visit Texas State’s Aquatic Biology program

San Marcos High School students in Melissa Wolter’s aquatic science class made a splash during their first day back from spring break.

Wolter’s students visited Texas State University’s Freeman Aquatic Building and The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment on Monday, March 18. During their visit, students received a hands-on lesson that took place in the San Marcos River.

“We brought the students here to go sample in the (San Marcos River) and to do a bio assessment,” Wolter said. “We’re going to teach them how to ID different macroinvertebrates and then use that to assess the health of the river and the status of the river.”

SMHS senior Charlotte Adler enjoyed being able to take part in the field trip and the lesson in the San Marcos River.

“It was a great experience being able to put on the waders and see the boots that they have and use, and what the inside of the (Freeman Aquatic) building looks like,” said Adler.

Nyle Schmidt, an SMHS senior, said it was interesting to observe the San Marcos River.

“The way that the river changes with time, I think it’s really interesting – the water was higher, and seeing the different patches of algae changing and moving to different locations,” Schmidt said. “I think it was really cool just to be there.”

' We’re going to teach them how to ID different macroinvertebrates and then use that to assess the health of the river and the status of the river.'

- Melissa Wolter SMHS Aquatic Science Teacher

Adler also appreciated learning from Wolter and the Texas State faculty, who were able to quickly identify the various wildlife in the river, including snails, crawfish and Fountain darters.

“It was really interesting to hear the perspective of someone who’s been working with endangered species for so long,” Adler said. “They saw the flicker of a fish and said, ‘Oh yeah, that’s a Fountain darter.’” Aaron Shaw, a junior at SMHS, was able to directly apply what he’s learned in Wolter’s class during his time in the river.

“Ms. Wolter, she says she gets to go to different places basically all over Texas to do samples and test and see the water levels, because when you don’t get enough rain then you have low water levels,” Shaw said. “Recently, that’s been happening, water levels are really down, and that’s my main concern.”

Wolter is hopeful the field trip and lesson will provide students with a perspective about wildlife living in the San Marcos River, and increase their interest in the aquatic science field.

“I hope that they realize what lives in the river where they are from and where they hang out at all the time – the endangered species: the (Texas Wild) Rice, the fish that we were catching that are endangered. So, they can kind of realize, ‘Oh, there’s all this different stuff that lives around me. I’ve been here my whole life’,” said Wolter “And then, also this is really fun. We teach this in class, but the actual job of doing this in real life is really fun.'