Students at Detroit Lakes made an amazing discovery during a recently field trip. They were testing the water quality and found a rare aquatic insect. Moriya Rufer is an aquatic ecologist. She stated that the insect is so rare that it has attracted people outside of the state. The insect is a member of the Goeridae. It is a caddisfly.
Less than 1 percent of the lakes in Minnesosta have caddisflies. Moriya stated that the caddisfly is an indication that the Sucker Creek has excellent water quality. She also stated that any time a discovery like this is made, it is an exciting time for science.
Moriya was one of the 12 volunteers that attended the field trip. David Friehl was one of the other volunteers. He is a retired Area Fisheries manager. He stated that being outdoors is the best classroom in the world. The students got to be at the creek in the sunshine and study the insects.
Steve Fode is an instructor. He stated that the purpose of this trip was to help people connect with nature in a meaningful way. The class took a trip to the creek for the first time last fall. This was the second time that the class took a trip to the lake.
The students were happy with the field trip. Mercedes Jesness is one of the students at Detroit Lakes. She stated that she thought that the field trip was cool. Carson Woldby, who is another student at Detroit Lakes, said that this was one of the best school days of the year.
Alecia Ahers stated that children do not know how science ties into their daily life. She stated that going to the creek showed students that there is a world outside of their homes. Steve stated that the field trip surpassed his expectations.
