Whether you live in the city or country, you can help care for a river near you.

Adopt a River

How would you like to follow in the steps of researchers at the Canadian Museum of Nature and study the biodiversity of a river?

The Adopt a River project offers students in grades five through nine the chance to observe the natural environment of a river, analyse some of the water's parameters and discover the challenges associated with the conservation of a healthy waterway.

This tiny aquatic invertebrate, a mud amnicola (Amnicola limosus), is less than 4 mm long.

Adopt a River is a great opportunity for teachers to integrate subjects such as life sciences, ecology, chemistry, computers and English into a concrete and stimulating project.

This environmental monitoring project has two main components: observing macroinvertebrates, and physical and chemical water analysis.

Young bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana.

Following the field work and data collection, the students write a report. The data collected are sent to the project coordinator, the Comité de Valorisation de la Rivière Beauport. Data are also sent to the Biosphere's Ecowatch Network of Environment Canada, which distributes the data to the scientific community and other network members.

The Canadian Museum of Nature is the project coordinator for the regions of Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais. If you are interested in participating in Adopt a River, please call 613.566.4708 to attend an information session or to come and see the project guides and materials.

For more information on the project and its participants, visit http://biosphere.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=4068C51B-1.