Základná škola Ožďany

ENVIROPROJECT 2006

In may 2006 our school acquirred within the Enviroproject finance from the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic for the realisation of the "Getting to know the animal community of Ožďany pond and evaluating water pollution by means of invertebrates “. The main aim of the project is to make children interested in getting to know nature in the region and through an activity aimed at evaluating the pollution of water improve their environmental feelings.

Means of reaching the goal:

explore and document the diversity of animal species in the pond community
by means of bioindicators define the level of water pollution in Ožďany pond
make a poster with actual results of the project and photodocumentation
publish results of the project on the web site of our school, in the school magazine and in the regional press

Children from the science group led by Mgr. Natália Nôtová take part in the project. Mrs Nôtová is the coordinator of environmental education at our school as well.

Schedule of the project:

June 2006 – acquirring the neccessary instruments
September, October 2006 – 5 visits to the Ožďany pond, observing shore and aquatic animals biomonitoring of aquatic invertebrates and following defining of the quality of water, documenting of observations (notes, photodocumentation), taking samples for observation by microscope.
November, December 2006 – evaluating the observations, processing the results and conclusions by means of PC, making a poster, publishing information about the project and its results in the school magazine and regional press, on the web site of the school, evaluating the success of the project.

Defining the quality of water by means of macroscopic aquatic invertebrates

Aqatic macroscopic invertebrates are animals that spend most of their lives or all their lives in the water, most of all close to the surface or in the washout. The most frequent representants of aquatic fauna of macroscopic invertebrate are for example crustacea (freshwater shrimps, lobsters), insects and their larvae (for example caddis fly, stone fly, mosquitoes), shellfish(univalve snails, mussels), planarian and annelidans (leech).

The environment requirements of each group and species of macroscopic invertebrates differ, therefore any change of aquatic environment (e. g. pollution) can be seen as the structure of their communities and quantity changes depending on their sensibility. For defining the quality of water based on the presence of certain groups of animals with different sensibility for the state of environment ther is a form, in which groups of animals are set according to their sensibility to quality of water.

The most sensible to water quality are larvae of stonefly, that usually grow in clean, clear water of mountain brooks. One level less sensitive are other larvae. The following less sensitive are caddis flies. Sensitive to the quality of water are crustacea, most of all freshwater shrimps and lobsters. When water is not suitable for lobsters any more, the water is one level more polluted, there still can be larvae of darning needle. The next less sensitive to water quality are water snails, shellfish, aquatic insects their larvae, sow bugs and larvae of different mosquitoes and other dcipterans. Water insects and their larvae, larvae of darning needles and mosquitoes can be found in still water. A negative indicator, it means that a species which indicates regularly and strongly polluted water most of all by organic waste with excess of nitrous substance is Tubifex.

To take sample we use the following tools: rubber boots, rubber gloves, trais for dividing samples, pincers, magnifiers, stopwatch, picking net, evaluating forms, notebook, pen. It is possible to put the animals from the picking net to a collecting container where we count them. The animals found are registered in the form. Results are evaluated directly in the field and after the evaluation we put the animals back to the water.

You can see pictures about the activities of the group in the photogallery,in the part called Enviroproject.

EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT

We started realizing the project in June 2006 after the written announcement about receiving a financial grant from the Enviroproject 2006 programme given by the Ministry of Education of Slovak Republic.

In the first phase we concentrated on getting all the neccessary things. We bought a digital camera, 2 microscopes (1000 x zooom, electric lamp), 2 waterproof binoculars, 2 sets multiplying glasses and we continuously bought the neccessary office suplies.

In September 2006 we informed about the project the pupils and their parents. In the direct realization of the project 20 pupils take part who are members of the science group led by Mgr. Natália Nôtová. The professional sponsor of the project is Ing. Želmíra Ružičková from the Environmental Education Centre Drieňok in Teplý Vrch.

In September we visited the locality of Ožďany pond three times. The first two visits were connected to getting to know better the place of the external realization of the project, observing the animal community of the pond and its documentation with the help of the digital camera. The third visit in which also Mrs. Ružičková took part was aimed at evaluating the quality of water by means of envertebrates. She showed us how we can with the method BISEL (www.sazp.sk) easily identify the quality of water. From the water running out of the pond we with small nets took out some samples. We identyfied the invertebrates that come out in the nets with the help of a key and we noted them in a special form. After the evaluation the result was that the water in the pond has medium level of pollution.

In October we visited the locality of the pond twice aimed at watching the seasonal changes, documentation of the animal community and takeing samples for observing with microscope. After the finishing of the project work outside we concentrated on evaluating of our results, processing our material during the regular group meetings at school. The result of our work that culminated at the end of November 2006 was a presentation of results of the project in the form of a poster. We informed the public about the realization of Enviroproject in an article in the school magazine and in the local weekly newspapers Gemerské Zvesti and Novohradské Noviny.

Observed and documented animal species

Capreolus capreolus

Vespertilionidae

Apodemus agrarius

Sus scrofa - footprints

Ardea cinerea

Anas platyrhynchos

Passer montanus

Lacerta agilis

Bufo viridis

Rana esculenta

Carassius carassius

Cyprinus carpio

Abramis sp.

Tettigonia viridissima

Acrididae

Gryllus campestris

Nepa cinerea

Dytiscidae

Gerris gibbifer

Paravespula vulgaris

Vespa crabro

Lucilia caesar

Tipula oleracea

Inachis io

Pieris brassicae

Papilio machaon

Lepidoptera

Nymphalidae

Anax imperator

Coenagrion puella

Ephemeroptera - larvae

Asellus aquaticus

Argiopidae

Thomisidae

Hirudinea

Cepea vindobonensis

Helix pomatia

Arion rufus

Unio pictorum

Lymnea stagnalis

Planorbidae

Sphaerium corneum

The article published in the regional press:

ENVIROPROJECT In OŽĎANY

(Schoolchildren investigated the pond)

In May 2006 our school got financial support from the Ministry of Education of Slovak Republic for the realization of the project "Getting to know the animal community of Ožďany pond and evaluating water pollution by means of invertebrates" which we wrote within the programme Enviroproject 2006. The aim of it was to increase the interesto of the children in getting to know the nature around them and to improve their environmental feeling. With the money given to us we bought a camera, microscopes, multiplying glasses nets and others.

In September and October 2006 we visited the Ožďany pond 5 times. We watched what kinds of animals there are in the pond and around it. What we found we docomented with a digital camera and in notebooks. During our visits we saw more than 50 different kinds of animals, most of them we could take pictures of.

One visit was devoted to stating the quality of water in the pond by means of invertebrates that live in it. We invited Ing. Želmíra Ružičková from SEV Drieňok in Teplý Vrch as a lecturer. She showed us how we can with the method BISEL (www.sazp.sk) easily identify the quality of water. From the water running out of the pond we with small nets took out some samples. We identyfied the invertebrates that come out in the nets with the help of a key and we noted them in a special form. After the evaluation the result was that the water in the pond has medium level of pollution.

About the project itself and its results the pupils and teachers of our school were informed by a poster, the wider public can get information from the web site of our school.

During our trips to the pond we had a beautiful sunny weather of an indian summer, so we took advantage of it and had a barbecue. We had a lot of fun and we will long remember the nice moments spent in the countryside next to Ožďany pond.

Mgr. Natália Nôtová and members of the science group

Photographs were attached to the article about the activities of the children. It was published in Novohradské noviny No. 47 and Gemerské Zvesti(red) No.48.

Pictures of the published articles can be found of the Photogallery.