Upcoming Events
FieldSTEM School Leadership Institute
April 19th-20th, 2016

Designing High Impact Field Experiences 
April 16th, 2016

FieldSTEM Institute
June 21st-22nd, 2016

Save the Dates! 
June 21 Introduction to Field Investigations

June 22 Got Data? Now What?
 Name our Newsletter Contest!

We need your help! The River Mile Newsletter needs a new name. Come up with some snazzy names for our newsletter. We are looking for something to the point, yet eye catching! 
Submit your ideas by May 31, 2016 and we'll vote on them before school is out.
The winner will be able to choose a FieldSTEM, Next Generation Science Standards, or other science education book!

Lake Roosevelt Crayfish Inventory 2015

Northern crayfish in trap
This past  summ er, biologists with the Nation al P ark  Service performed a park-wide inventory of crayfish in Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. The goal of   this inventory was to expan d on research done in previous years by NPS staff and The River Mile participants in regards to what species of crayfish currently reside in Lake Roosevelt and where crayfish are found throughout the lake. This inventory was  accomplished by catching crayfish in special traps placed throughout the lake over the course of the summer. 

Currently, there are two species of crayfish found in Lake Roosevelt: the native signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, and the invasive northern (or virile) crayfish, Orconectes virilis. Northern crayfish are native to the eastern United States and were illegally introduced into Lake Roosevelt sometime within the past 10 years. Since their introduction, they have competed with native signal crayfish for habitat and food. Northern crayfish grow larger and are more aggressive than signal crayfish and therefore are often able to outcompete native crayfish.

In the main-stem of the lake, northern crayfish dominate and most likely have driven out signal crayfish from the best habitat areas. Between July and September, 2242 northern crayfish were caught while only 3 signal crayfish were found in the main-stem of Lake Roosevelt. The three native crayfish that were captured in traps were found in the far northern reaches of the lake; traps at all other locations produced only northern crayfish.

Interestingly though, the Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt could prove to be a remaining stronghold for signal crayfish. Only one trapping session occurred on the Spokane River in 2015, but it yielded 66 native signal crayfish and 129 invasive northern crayfish. A few trapping locations produced only native crayfish, indicating the possibility that northern crayfish haven't yet worked their way up to those locations. The northern crayfish that were caught in the Spokane River were found primarily lower in the river closer to the confluence with Lake Roosevelt. While it was very encouraging to discover trapping locations with only native crayfish, there is a very real possibility that invasive crayfish will continue moving up the Spokane River from Lake Roosevelt and could eventually take over prime habitat there as well.

Overall 2015 was a successful year for the park-wide inventory of crayfish. Plans for 2016 include
Native signal crayfish caught at Spokane River
adding more trapping locations along the main-stem and more investigation of the major tributaries to Lake Roosevelt. For more information about this project, contact Park Biologist Meghan Lyons at meghan_lyons@nps.gov.
 
The River Mile Watershed Facilitator Train the Trainer Event
The River Mile's second Watershed Facilitator & STEMChampion Train the Trainer Event was held in Wenatchee, Washington at the North Central ESD (Educational Service District) Office from February 24-25th! Janice Elvidge, along with Margaret Tudor and Nancy Skerritt from PEI (Pacific Education Institute) and Kristen Bates from the North Central ESD led the workshop where we discussed FieldSTEM, NGSS, and Project-Based Learning. The purpose of Watershed Facilitators and STEMChampions is to serve as points of contact for educators within the Columbia River watershed. It is a great opportunity for networking and collaborating with formal and informal educators in your area. There will be another training for first timers this summer, along with a second required training being held July 26-28, 2016.
We Have a New Education Intern!
Hi! My name is Chelsea Trout. I will be Lake Roosevelt's SCA (Student Conservation Association) education intern until January 2017. I am originally from Pennsylvania, but recently finished another SCA position in the Hudson Valley of New York as an environmental educator and naturalist. I am knowledgeable in aquatic ecology studies and environmental education, and am very excited to be working with all of you on our The River Mile project!
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