Earlier this school year, Great Oaks Elementary fourth grader Zoe Dyble went on a field trip with her classmates at the Anchor Bay school to the Salt River in Chesterfield Township to get water samples and learn about water quality.
“It was really fun,” she said. “We didn’t get any food, but we got to pick a lot of bugs.”
On Nov. 19, though, Dyble and her fourth grade class ventured to the Macomb Intermediate School District main campus in Clinton Township to present their findings from their field trip.
And yes, there was food.
The field trip was part of the Clinton River Watershed Council’s (CRWC) Stream Leaders Student Conference. Kaleigh Snoddy, the CRWC education and stewardship manager, said 2025 was the first year the student conference happened since 2018.
She added students from schools in the area do a biological survey where they catch aquatic insects and study them. Students also do a chemistry survey where they look at things like pH, nitrate and phosphate. They also do a physical survey of the river, looking at things like erosion and vegetation.
Then, after the students do their surveys, they come together for a student conference to present their findings.
Snoddy said it’s important for people to be educated about the Clinton River Watershed.
“The way that we keep our water clean and we protect our water is by having educated members of the public, so from our students to our adults it’s important to understand what’s going on,” she said. “Stream Leaders helps build a sense of responsibility and stewardship for the river.”
The conference featured a keynote speaker, a group activity, breakout sessions, student presentations and a taco bar.
One of Dyble’s favorite parts of the day was a group craft where her class split into teams and had to use pipe cleaners, balloons and other supplies to make one of their teammates look like an insect. Dyble’s team chose a butterfly.