Forest Oak Middle School Bay Studies Program

Pond Study Field Guides

As a Bay School, we are encouraging teachers and students to investigate and explore the ponds. The first rotation of the Bay Studies Class decided that Forest Oak needed a field guide for their ponds. Our classes explored the ponds and created Field Guides for the Ponds of Forest Oak for use by other classes. We gathered information about what creatures and plants live in and around the pond. We identified the plants and animals that live around the edge of the pond and that live in the pond We observed animal and plant life in the shallow water of the pond. For those animals in the pond, we used a net or container to gently capture the specimens and place them in a container for a closer look. WE RETURNED ALL ANIMALS TO THE POND!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our equipment included rubber boots, nets, magnifying lenses, tweezers, containers, and notebooks. We used our drawings and descriptions to create field guides. Although a lot of work, it was worth it.

Plants

Algae
Arrow Arum
Mare's Tail
Alligator Weed
Broad-Leaved Cattail
Spike Rushes

Giant Bur-Reed

see also: Chesapeake Bay Grasses

Insects and Non-Insect Arthropods

Crane Flies
Giant Water Bugs
Water Striders
Crayfish
Grasshopper
Whirligig Beetles
Dragonfly
Praying Mantis

Elmid
Water Boatman

Amphibians

Frogs Introduction
Tadpoles Introduction

Bullfrog
Bullfrog Tadpole
Leopard Frog
American Toad Tadpole

Reptiles

Mud Snake
Stinkpot Musk Turtles
Queen Snake

Fish

Minnow
Large Mouth Bass
Creek Chub

Birds

Canadian Goose
Pintail Duck

See also: Chesapeake Bay Organisms by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

and Chesapeake Bay Grasses for additional information.

 

 

This site is created and maintained by Deb Plaisnce .
Last updated on March 15, 2003

Bay Studies Coordinator: Jay Foster