On Friday 22 November 2024 we enjoyed an enlightening hybrid presentation on the use of stream macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality. Prof Mary Kelly-Quinn gave a brief overview of the project before introducing three members of the ‘River Detectives’ group who explained the role of these organisms in assessing stream water quality in Wicklow. They shared their results from fieldwork, and offered firsthand insights from their experience as citizen scientists.
This hybrid UCD citizen science community of practice event took place on Friday 22 November 2024 at 12 noon to 1pm in UCD James Joyce Library Link 3 and on Zoom.
Further information: A group of citizens in Co. Wicklow have undertaken training in the assessment of stream water quality using aquatic organisms, in this case macroinvertebrates. These include insect larvae as well as crustaceans, snails and worms. The ‘River Detectives’, have been active in 2024 surveying almost 50 stream sites in the Wicklow Mountains. Three citizens from this group related how they used the stream macroinvertebrates as water quality indicators, highlighted their results and gave us some insights into their experience as a citizen scientist.