Snails or gastropods are the second most abundant group of species outmatched only by insects. Consisting of snails and slugs, there are over 60,000 different species of gastropods known to date, over 5000 of which are considered to be aquatic.

In this entry in our Bug Blog series we will be looking at the dragonfly. Dragonflies are easily distinguishable by their long thin bodies, long horizontally resting wings and large compound eyes on either side of its head.

In this installment of our Bug Blog series we will be exploring the crayfish. If you have ever spent time on the river’s edge you have probably spotted these lobster-looking critters. Compared to other benthos, the crayfish can grow to be quite large, anywhere between 4 to 16 centimeters!

Today is a day to motivate, celebrate (or even re-invigorate) outdoor education. When teaching and learning outside, there are so many opportunities to seize.

This next series will cover the aquatic beetle. Beetles are considered to be the most diverse type of insect in the entire animal kingdom with over 350,000 different species discovered to date with over 5000 living in North American waters.

Have you ever accidentally stepped on a worm but one half managed to get away alive? Even if you haven’t experienced this phenomenon, you have probably heard of it. As long as its major organs are not harmed, a worm that has lost part of its end portion can live. This is also the case for the subject of this installment of the Bug Blog, the flatworm!

In this installment of EcoSpark’s Bug Blogs, we will be examining scuds. Scuds are one of the easiest bottom dwelling bugs to identify in aquatic ecosystems due to their resemblance to shrimp.

Have you ever seen a daddy long-legs in your house or outside on a warm autumn day? If you said yes, then you’ve seen a crane fly! Crane flies are the topic of this installment of Bug Blog.

Have you ever taken a dip in a lake and come out with a tiny black or grey worm-like organism attached to you? If so, you’ve likely had an encounter with the subject of this edition of the Bug Blog, a leech!

Welcome to our first edition of Bug Blogs, celebrating Science Odyssey by showcasing benthic macroinvertebrates (bugs!) that we often find during our local stream studies program, Changing Currents.

On a sunny September day, my nine year old son and I headed down to the Humber River for EcoSpark in the Park. Tom immediately volunteered to put on a pair of waders and hop into the river, a place he had been told not to go on previous school trips and family visits to the park.